2021 - Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

Show publications from the year

Publications from the year 2021

Show all

Sugar Fee in Poland as an Example of New Fiscal Burdens and Stimulation of Consumer Behaviour
- Piotr Kasprzak
2021
During the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount and structure of tax burdens imposed by the state on businesses continue to increase, as shown on the example of the newly introduced sugar fee. A new tax-related burden imposed on businesses and consumers producing and consuming sugar-sweetened beverages appeared at the beginning of 2021. The aim of the paper is to present the fiscal burdens that accompany the introduction of the sugar fee along with the justification for its introduction and its impact on the functioning of the sweetened beverage market.
Sulfate reducing ammonium oxidation (SULFAMMOX) process under anaerobic conditions
- Dominika Grubba
- Joanna Majtacz
- Jacek Mąkinia
2021 Full text Environmental Technology & Innovation
Sulfate (SO42-) can be an electron acceptor for ammonium nitrogen (NH4+) oxidation under anaerobic conditions. The process is known as sulfammox and can be a viable alternative to conventional, nitrite (NO2-) dependent, anammox. Two bacterial species, including Bacillus Benzoevorans and Brocadia Anammoxoglobus Sulfate, can perform that process. With sulfammox, an economically inefficient pre-nitration step (due to aeration) is not required. There are more than 10 different systems in which sulfammox has been studied, including suspended growth, biofilm, granular and hybrid reactors. A combination of anammox and sulfur related processes (sulfammox and autotrophic denitrification) would especially be appropriate for specific industrial wastewater with high content of nitrogen compounds and SO42-. The results of recent studies suggest that very high removal efficiencies could simultaneously be achieved with respect to both NH4+ (92-99%) and SO42- (53-60%).
Sulfurization of phosphanylphosphinidene ligand: Access to phosphinothioyltrithiophosphonato platinum(II) complexes
- Anna Ordyszewska
- Natalia Szynkiewicz
- Jarosław Chojnacki
- Rafał Grubba
- Jerzy Pikies
2021 Full text INORGANICA CHIMICA ACTA
The reactivity of phosphanylphosphinidene Pt(0) complexes [DppePt(η2-P–PtBu2)] (1) and [(pTol3P)2Pt(η2-P–PtBu2)] (2) toward sulfur was studied. Reactions of 1 and 2 with an excess of sulfur led to the formation of the first transition metal complexes 3 and 4 with phosphinothioyltrithiophosphonato ligands with the formula [tBu2P(=S)–P(=S)S2]2-. In contrast to previous reports on the phosphanylphosphinidene moiety sulfurization, the P–P bond was not cleaved during these reactions. The structures of sulfurization products 3 and 4 were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and DFT calculations.
Sum-over-state expressions including second-order Herzberg–Teller effects for the calculation of absorption and resonance Raman intensities
- Julien Guthmuller
2021 Full text JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
The sum-over-state expressions are derived to calculate the second-order Herzberg–Teller (HT) effects in absorption and resonance Raman spectroscopies. These effects depend on the second derivatives of the transition dipole moment with respect to the vibrational coordinates. The method is applied to the molecule of 1,3-butadiene using density functional theory calculations. It is found that the second-order HT effects are significant for both absorption and resonance Raman intensities, and that the calculated spectra are in good agreement with the experimental data. The second-order HT effects originate from diagonal elements of the second derivatives matrix, whereas non-diagonal elements have a negligible impact on the intensities of 1,3-butadiene.
Superconductivity in LiGa2Ir Heusler type compound with VEC = 16
- Karolina Górnicka
- Gabriel Kuderowicz
- Michał Winiarski
- Bartłomiej Wiendlocha
- Tomasz Klimczuk
2021 Full text Scientific Reports
Polycrystalline LiGa2Ir has been prepared by a solid state reaction method. A Rietveld refnement of powder x-ray difraction data confrms a previously reported Heusler-type crystal structure (space group Fm-3m, No. 225) with lattice parameter a= 6.0322(1) Å. The normal and superconducting state properties were studied by magnetic susceptibility, heat capacity, and electrical resistivity techniques. A bulk superconductivity with Tc= 2.94 K was confrmed by detailed heat capacity studies. The measurements indicate that LiGa2Ir is a weak-coupling type-II superconductor (e–p = 0.57, C/γTc= 1.4). Electronic structure, lattice dynamics, and the electron–phonon interaction are studied from frst principles calculations. Ir and two Ga atoms equally contribute to the Fermi surface with a minor contribution from Li. The phonon spectrum contains separated high frequency Li modes, which are seen clearly as an Einstein-like contribution in the specifc heat. The calculated electron–phonon coupling constant e–p = 0.68 confrms the electron–phonon mechanism for the superconductivity. LiGa2Ir and recently reported isoelectronic LiGa2Rh are the only two known representatives of the Heusler superconductors with the valence electron count VEC= 16.
Superconductivity in the Endohedral Ga Cluster Compound PdGa5
- Zuzanna Ryżyńska
- Piotr Wiśniewski
- Dariusz Kaczorowski
- Weiwei Xie
- Robert J. Cava
- Tomasz Klimczuk
- Michał Winiarski
2021 Full text Journal of Physical Chemistry C
Superconductivity is observed below Tc = 1.6 K in an endohedral Ga cluster compound PdGa5 using magnetization and heat capacity measurements. Electronic structure calculations show that the density of states (DOS) at the Fermi level is dominated by Ga s and p states and that the overall shape of DOS is similar to what was found in other endohedral Ga cluster superconductors, such as MoxGa5x+1, ReGa5, and T2Ga9 (T = Rh and Ir). Our results provide a more complete picture of the relationship between the valence electron count and superconductivity in the family of endohedral Ga cluster superconductors.
SUPPORT FOR OLDER ADULTS DURING COVID19 PANDEMIC – HOW DID LOCAL AUTHORITIES IN THE POMERANIAN REGION RESPOND TO THE CHALLENGE?
- Anita Richert-Kaźmierska
2021
The COVID-19 pandemic, apart from health threats, has shown the problem of older adults’ social isolation and loneliness in aging societies that has been progressing for several decades. Older adults’ singularisation, loosening family relations, diminishing families’ caring potential, caused that during the lockdown, many older adults – without the neighbours’ or NGOs’ support or the activities undertaken by local authorities – would be left without meeting their basic life and social needs. Authors draw their attention to the different aspects of population aging process and its socio-economic consequences. Nevertheless, the subject of older adults’ loneliness and the growing role of institutions (coordinated by local government authorities) in providing them different care services still seems insufficiently researched in the Polish-language literature. In Polish society, citizens prefer that the informal care needs of older adults are assiduously met by family members. However, the months of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown have clearly shown that this traditional model of informal care is not always possible in practice, and that family members are increasingly turning to regional local authorities to assist them in the care requirements of older and frail relatives. Many family members are not always ready to provide care for older relatives at home due to a lack of appropriate knowledge and assistive aids.
Surface and interfacial anti-plane waves in micropolar solids with surface energy
- Mriganka Shekhtar Chaki
- Victor Eremeev
- Abhishek K Singh
2021 MATHEMATICS AND MECHANICS OF SOLIDS
In this work, the propagation behaviour of a surface wave in a micropolar elastic half-space with surface strain and kinetic energies localized at the surface and the propagation behaviour of an interfacial anti-plane wave between two micropolar elastic half-spaces with interfacial strain and kinetic energies localized at the interface have been studied. The Gurtin–Murdoch model has been adopted for surface and interfacial elasticity. Dispersion equations for both models have been obtained in algebraic form for two types of anti-plane wave, i.e. a Love-type wave and a new type of surface wave (due to micropolarity). The angular frequency and phase velocity of anti-plane waves have been analysed through a numerical study within cut-off frequencies. The obtained results may find suitable applications in thin film technology, non-destructive analysis or biomechanics, where the models discussed here may serve as theoretical frameworks for similar types of phenomena.
Surface modification of PMMA polymer and its composites with PC61BM fullerene derivative using an atmospheric pressure microwave argon plasma sheet
- Andrzej Sikora
- Dariusz Czylkowski
- Bartosz Hrycak
- Magdalena Moczała-Dusanowska
- Marcin Łapiński
- Mirosław Dors
- Mariusz Jasiński
2021 Full text Scientific Reports
This paper presents the results of experimental investigations of the plasma surface modification of a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) polymer and PMMA composites with a [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester fullerene derivative (PC61BM). An atmospheric pressure microwave (2.45 GHz) argon plasma sheet was used. The experimental parameters were: an argon (Ar) flow rate (up to 20 NL/min), microwave power (up to 530 W), number of plasma scans (up to 3) and, the kind of treated material. In order to assess the plasma effect, the possible changes in the wettability, roughness, chemical composition, and mechanical properties of the plasma-treated samples’ surfaces were evaluated by water contact angle goniometry (WCA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The best result concerning the water contact angle reduction was from 83° to 29.7° for the PMMA material. The ageing studies of the PMMA plasma-modified surface showed long term (100 h) improved wettability. As a result of plasma treating, changes in the samples surface roughness parameters were observed, however their dependence on the number of plasma scans is irregular. The ATR-FTIR spectra of the PMMA plasma-treated surfaces showed only slight changes in comparison with the spectra of an untreated sample. The more significant differences were demonstrated by XPS measurements indicating the surface chemical composition changes after plasma treatment and revealing the oxygen to carbon ratio increase from 0.1 to 0.4.
Surface quality control of a thin SiN layer by optical measurements
- Jakub Gierowski
- Sandra Pawłowska
2021 Full text Photonics Letters of Poland
Fiber optic interferometers have a wide range of applications, including biological and chemical measurements. Nevertheless, in the case of a reflective interferometer setup, standard silver mirrors cannot be used in every measurement, due to their chemical activity. This work investigates the surface quality of a thin optical layer of silicon nitride (SiN), which can serve as an alternative material for silver mirrors. We present measurements carried out with a Fabry-Perot fiber-optic interferometer working in a reflective mode. Measurement results allow us to determine the surface quality of the investigated layer.
Surface Roughness Evaluation in Thin EN AW-6086-T6 Alloy Plates after Face Milling Process with Different Strategies
- Daniel Chuchała
- Michał Dobrzyński
- Danil Yurievich Pimenov
- Kazimierz Orłowski
- Grzegorz Królczyk
- Khaled Giasin
2021 Full text Materials
Lightweight alloys made from aluminium are used to manufacture cars, trains and planes. The main parts most often manufactured from thin sheets requiring the use of milling in the manufacturing process are front panels for control systems, housing parts for electrical and electronic components. As a result of the final phase of the manufacturing process, cold rolling, residual stresses remain in the surface layers, which can influence the cutting processes carried out on these materials. The main aim of this study was to verify whether the strategy of removing the outer material layers of aluminium alloy sheets affects the surface roughness after the face milling process. EN AW-6082-T6 aluminium alloy thin plates with three different thicknesses and with two directions relative to the cold rolling process direction (longitudinal and transverse) were analysed. Three different strategies for removing the outer layers of the material by face milling were considered. Noticeable differences in surface roughness 2D and 3D parameters were found among all machining strategies and for both rolling directions, but these differences were not statistically significant. The lowest values of Ra = 0.34 µm were measured for the S#3 strategy, which asymmetrically removed material from both sides of the plate (main and back), for an 8-mm-thick plate in the transverse rolling direction. The highest values of Ra = 0.48 µm were measured for a 6-mm-thick plate milled with the S#2 strategy, which symmetrically removed material from both sides of the plate, in the longitudinal rolling direction. However, the position of the face cutter axis during the machining process was observed to have a significant effect on the surface roughness. A higher surface roughness was measured in the areas of the tool point transition from the up-milling direction to the down-milling direction (tool axis path) for all analysed strategies (Ra = 0.63–0.68 µm). The best values were obtained for the up-milling direction, but in the area of the smooth execution of the process (Ra = 0.26–0.29 µm), not in the area of the blade entry into the material. A similar relationship was obtained for analysed medians of the arithmetic mean height (Sa) and the root-mean-square height (Sq). However, in the case of the S#3 strategy, the spreads of results were the lowest.
Surface Texture after Turning for Various Workpiece Rigidities
- Michał Dobrzyński
- Karolina Miętka
2021 Full text Machines
In the paper, we present an analysis of the surface texture of turned parts with L/D (length/diameter) ratios of 6 and 12 and various rigidity values. The studies were carried out on samples made of S355JR steel and AISI 304 stainless steel. A detailed analysis of 2D surface profiles was carried out by using a large number of parameters that allowed us to distinguish significant differences in the surface microgeometry, which confirmed that determining surface characteristics from one height parameter (Ra—arithmetical mean height) is far from sufficient. The obtained results indicate significantly better roughness and waviness values of the AISI 304 steel surfaces in terms of its size, periodicity, and regularity. Therefore, the turning process of AISI 304 shafts with low rigidity allows one to be able to achieve better quality texture and have a positive effect on the general properties of a workpiece. In all tested samples, surface irregularities decreased along with the distance from the tailstock. The shafts with an L/D ratio of 12 had worse surfaces in the first two sections due to lower rigidity. The results received close to the three-jaw chuck, regardless of the L/D ratio and material type, demonstrated similar waviness and roughness parameters and profiles.
Surpassing the Line: Urban-Oriented Strategies in the Development of Business Complexes in Poland
- Piotr Lorens
- Joanna Bach-Głowińska
- Michał Habier
- Paweł Rzepecki
2021 Full text Urban Planning
Development trends regarding the business-related urban complexes seem to evolve from the “big-box” towards the more “multi-use” types of structures. Within it, the special role is reserved for places, which—due to economic, political, and geographical reasons—have not been previously considered as major business hubs. Only recently, places like cities in Central and Eastern Europe have become attractive locations for business complexes. These could offer centrally located and attractive locations for new structures, which resulted in the development of the new type of commercial centers—in the form of multi-use districts, walkable, and complemented by other uses. Therefore, to some extent, these cities “surpassed the development line” of the commercial and business complexes, and have become home to something much more advanced. Within the article, the cases from Poland, including Gdańsk, Warsaw, Cracow, and Wroclaw, are discussed. Not only is the urban arrangement of selected complexes presented, but the planning and socio-economic, legal, and infrastructural aspects of these developments are also discussed.
Surrogate-Assisted Design of Checkerboard Metasurface for Broadband Radar Cross-Section Reduction
- Muhammad Abdullah
- Sławomir Kozieł
2021 Full text IEEE Access
Metasurfaces have been extensively exploited in stealth applications to reduce radar cross section (RCS). They rely on the manipulation of backward scattering of electromagnetic (EM) waves into various oblique angles. However, arbitrary control of the scattering properties poses a significant challenge as a design task. Yet it is a principal requirement for making RCS reduction possible. This article introduces a surrogate-based approach for rapid design optimization of checkerboard metasurfaces. Our methodology involves fast metamodels, and a combination of surrogate-assisted global optimization with local, gradient-based tuning. It permits an efficient control of the EM wave reflection characteristics, and ensures arriving at that the globally optimum solution within the assumed parameter space. The design procedure is fully automated. The framework is employed to develop a novel broadband checkerboard metasurface, where the RCS reduction is fundamentally based on the backward scattering manipulation carefully controlled by simultaneous adjustment of the unit cell dimensions. The properties of the structure are demonstrated using simulated monostatic and bistatic RCSs. The proposed metasurface exhibits 6 dB RCS reduction within the frequency range from 16 to 37 GHz. The numerical results are validated using physical measurements of the fabricated prototype. Experimental data indicates that the relative RCS reduction bandwidth is 83 percent, which makes the proposed structure outperforming the designs reported in the literature.
Survey on opportunities and barriers in lighting controls
- Bruno Bueno Unzeta
- Jan de Boer
- Ruben Delvaeye
- Bertrand Deroisy
- Marc Fontoynont
- David Geisler-Moroder,
- Niko Gentile,
- Tao Luo
- Daniel Neves Pimenta
- Per Reinhold
- Michelangelo Scorpio
- Sergio Sibilio
- Natalia Sokół
- Sophie Stoffer
- Robert Weitlaner
2021
This report summarizes a survey performed in eight countries on the status quo of daylight and electric lighting control systems. Feedback from more than 100 international experts (building / facility managers and planers) was evaluated. The aim of the survey was to identify the perception of the different possibilities of the current lighting control solutions and the expectations about the control systems. The survey aims to provide a mapping of the current lighting control systems available at the market and an overview of which functions are perceived as most important and which areas are found to be improved. Participants of the survey had to rank each question in relation to the perceived importance and the need for improvement. The survey enclosed five general topics; energy, operational aspects, occupant control, occupant comfort and control functionality. The findings from the summary suggest, that the two main reasons for the implementation of lighting control systems are: 1. The possibility to reduce the electric lighting consumptions and 2. The opportunity to increase the user’s well-being and thereby reduce complaints from the users. From a user perspective, this means that the lighting system must ensure visual acuity and comfort by providing a sufficient level of illuminance and the ability to regulate the light level. Always in relation to the task and the ambient light in the space, and thereby creating a pleasant and comfortable light environment. Research suggests, when giving the users some manual control possibilities, the satisfaction with the lighting conditions in general increases The users should be able to both increase and dim the light levels or completely turn it off. This suggests, if the lighting control system is designed to regulate the illuminance automatically, it should be provided some kind of manual override. This is supported by the findings in the surveys, where all countries in one way or another find it important to provide the users with some possibility of user control. This as well applies to the control of the shading system in relation to avoid glare from high daylight intensities and undesired solar radiation coming into the space.
Sustainable development model for measuring and managing sustainability in the automotive sector
- Dominik Jasiński
- James Meredith
- Kerry Kirwan
2021 Full text SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
A growing number of organizations across a variety of industries are now pursuing sustainable management business goals to improve business efficiency, manage stakeholder expectations, or for legislative compliance. This is also the case for automotive manufacturing organizations who are under pressure from their stakeholders to manage and improve sustainability performance. This requires the development of credible measurement tools and systems to enable capture and monitoring of sustainability. This paper describes the development process for an innovative model, named the Automotive Sustainability Assessment Model (A-SAM), to drive sustainable decision-making in the automotive sector. The process of developing the model consisted of four major steps, each of which contained series of intermediate steps, individual objectives, and research methods. The model measures, quantifies, and translates a broad range of external effects (both positive and negative) into their monetary equivalents, enabling large car manufacturers to evaluate options, identify win–wins, and optimize trade-off, while making complex and multidisciplinary sustainability decisions. It allows managers and design engineers in the automotive sector to develop a better understanding of the environmental, resource, and social impacts of their activities, products, processes, and materials used, while still ensuring cost-effectiveness when making decisions. The A-SAM shows promise as an effective tool for supporting sustainability decisions in a business environment. Although developed in the context of the automotive industry, it can be adapted by organizations of any type, operating across many different sectors for managing sustainability in a more holistic, comprehensive, and integrated manner.
Sustainable Fashion in Poland—Too Early or Too Late?
- Magdalena Popowska
- Aleksandra Sinkiewicz
2021 Full text Sustainability
This article presents an analysis of the concept of sustainable fashion from the Polish consumer’s perspective. The aim of this research is to investigate how Polish fashion consumers approach the concepts of sustainability, such as organic, fair-trade, and carbon emissions. Exploring the experience of the Polish consumption context provides a richer understanding of the evolution of fashion sustainability concepts in this and similar countries. The research methods applied comprise the literature review, including the theoretical and empirical items, and the survey conducted among Polish clothing consumers. According to our findings, they declare caring more about the general environment but do not pay attention to sustainable development in the clothing industry. It is also worth noting that Poles, compared to other consumers in selected markets, have an unfavourable opinion of their own nation on the approach to sustainable development in the garment industry.
Sustainable recovery of plant essential Nitrogen and Phosphorus from human urine using industrial coal fly ash
- Mahesh Ganesapillai
- Jakub Drewnowski
- Shivendu Ranjan
- Thirumalini Selvaraj
2021 Environmental Technology & Innovation
Coal-based thermal power plants play a pivotal role in meeting global energy demand. The amount of fly ash generated from these plants increases every year, and its successful use has posed a significant environmental risk in the last decade. In this study, coal fly ash was packed in a fixed-bed adsorption column to remove Urea–N from synthetic human urine. To assess the efficacy of fly ash in the removal of Nitrogen, various process parameters were tested, including initial urea concentration in urine (20, 40, 60%), fly ash loading in column (100, 150, 200 g), and urine flow rate through the column (2, 4, 6 L.h−1). The initial urea concentration and bed height were found to have a major impact on nutrient recovery. Following nitrogen removal, the effluent urine was de-phosphatized using struvite precipitation and approximately 83% of phosphorus was recovered. High inlet urine concentration (60%), high flow rate (6 L.h−1) and minimal adsorbent loading (100 g) resulted in maximum struvite precipitation. The column breakthrough and characteristic parameters of four different models were predicted using kinetic modelling of the adsorption data, in which Yoon-Nelson and Thomas’ models suggested efficient removal and recovery of plant essential nutrients. As a result of the findings, coal fly ash appears to be a promising adsorbent for extracting these important plant nutrients. The effect of initial urine concentration, fly ash loading in the column, and urine flow rate on dephospatisation was calculated. The findings of this study will shed light on the process of nutrient adsorption process selection and detail the comparative differences between continuous and batch nutrient recovery of human urine.
Sustainable upcycling of brewers’ spent grain by thermo-mechanical treatment in twin-screw extruder
- Aleksander Hejna
- Mateusz Barczewski
- Katarzyna Skórczewska
- Joanna Szulc
- Błażej Chmielnicki
- Jerzy Korol
- Krzysztof Formela
2021 Full text JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
Thermo-mechanical treatment of brewers’ spent grain (a by-product of beer manufacturing) was successfully performed via the extrusion process. The impact of temperature (from 30 to 180 °C), throughput (from 1 to 5 kg/h) and screw speed (from 75 to 375 rpm) on particle size, color, chemical structure, antioxidant activity and thermal stability of resulting material, as well as correlations between particular properties, were investigated. The color of treated brewers’ spent grain was strongly influenced by particle size and the extent of Maillard reactions occurring during extrusion, responsible for the browning of material. Moreover, products of these reactions, melanoidins, enhanced the antioxidant activity of brewers’ spent grain, which after extrusion at 180 °C was increased by even 100%. Thermo-mechanical treatment of brewers’ spent grain at 120 and 180 °C increased its thermal stability investigated by thermogravimetric analysis. It was also observed that temperature treatment above 100 °C also led to the reduction in friction inside the extruder barrel and reduced by at least 20% specific mechanical energy required to brewers’ spent grain modification, which positively affects the economic aspect of the process. The results confirm that a proper adjustment of extrusion parameters allows easy tailoring of the appearance (color, particle size distribution) and performance properties (thermal stability, antioxidant activity) of brewers’ spent grain, which significantly extend applications of this cellulosic-rich waste in wood polymer composites technology.
Sustainable Use of the Catenary by Trolleybuses with Auxiliary Power Sources on the Example of Gdynia
- Mikołaj Bartłomiejczyk
- Marcin Połom
2021 Full text Infrastructures
The current developments in onboard power source technology, in particular, traction batteries, open up new potential in trolleybus transport and also make it possible to introduce electric buses. Thus far, trolleybus transport has required the presence of overhead lines (OHL). Introducing trolleybuses with onboard batteries makes it possible to grow the zero-emissions transport network in places with limited power supply capabilities and low population density, or in places where building OHL would not be possible. This improves the efficiency of trolleybus transport and makes environmentally friendly public transport more accessible to the local citizens. Despite their obvious advantages, traction batteries can also be problematic, as the drivers may overuse them (e.g., in the event of pantograph failure), and the public transport authorities and transport companies may plan connections in an ineffective way without preparing the necessary infrastructure (the absence of slipways or automatic connection capabilities), which in turn leads to inefficient use of the OHL. The article outlines the operation of the trolleybus transport network in Gdynia. The use of traction batteries in regular connections is analysed, and the potential for electrification of the bus line, some sections of which follow the traction infrastructure, is examined.