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Found 6674 publications
Optimized Eco-Driving with Real-Time Telemetry in a Lightweight Electric Vehicle
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 114
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 877-882
Description:
In this paper, the application of an advanced telemetry system is introduced, which is used to monitor an electric, energy-efficient experimental urban vehicle. The system enables real-time observation of both the pilot's actions and vehicle parameters. The vehicle's pilot drives according to a predetermined driving strategy, optimized for minimizing energy consumption during vehicle operation. The telemetry system aims to provide real-time information about the pilot's driving and deviations from the predetermined strategy, offering additional opportunities for correction during operation. Additionally, it facilitates real-time observation of all vehicle and sensor data on the vehicle's CAN network. The paper discusses the determination of the driving strategy and presents its graphical representation for the pilot. A detailed description of the telemetry system's operation through wireless connection is provided in the paper. In terms of implementation, the driving strategy was formulated using MATLAB through optimization, while graphical display, data collection, and telemetry system development were implemented in the LabVIEW environment. The functionality of the created energy-efficient driving support framework was examined under real driving conditions. The application of the telemetry system and proposed hybrid optimization approach helped to further reduce the energy consumption by 8.54%.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET24114147
Psychological Capital, Workplace Stress, and Mobbing in the Context of Workers’ Mental Health
Publication Name: Societies
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 15
Issue: 9
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This study examines how employees’ psychological capital relates to workplace stress and mobbing (also known as workplace bullying) across three European countries. Stress has become an increasingly dominant issue globally since the second half of the 20th century, moving from clinical contexts into public awareness. It is now recognized as a significant health risk factor, particularly in work environments. While positive forms of stress (eustress) can enhance performance, chronic workplace stress is linked to serious mental and physical health problems. This study investigates the relationship between psychological capital (PsyCap), workplace stress, and mobbing among employees in Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Based on a cross-sectional survey (N = 89), the research applied validated instruments (PCQ, PSS-10, COPSOQ II) to measure PsyCap, perceived workplace stress, and experiences of mobbing. Results show a high average PsyCap level (M = 4.64, SD = 0.70) and a moderate perceived workplace stress level (M = 2.73, SD = 0.62) across the sample. A strong negative correlation was identified between PsyCap and workplace stress (r = −0.573, p < 0.001), while a moderate positive correlation was found between workplace stress and mobbing experiences (r = 0.323, p = 0.002). Although PsyCap moderated stress levels, it did not significantly moderate the relationship between mobbing and perceived stress. These findings emphasize the role of PsyCap in reducing workplace stress and underline the necessity of organizational interventions in promoting psychological resilience and mobbing prevention. The results also indicate a need to further examine the causal relationship between mobbing, stress, and PsyCap.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3390/soc15090244
Focus on onboarding process: Examining mentoring and training programs from the perspective of HR and employees
Publication Name: Journal of Infrastructure Policy and Development
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 8
Issue: 12
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
In response to the rapid and dynamic changes in the economic environment, companies must improve their processes to maintain competitiveness. This includes enhancing their intellectual capital, with particular emphasis on effective onboarding processes, which play a crucial role in integrating new employees and retaining talent. This enhances the value of the organization’s intellectual capital and emphasizes onboarding—the training and integration of new employees—whose proper functioning impacts staff retention. Drawing on both Hungarian and predominantly foreign literature, we highlight onboarding processes and examine their implementation in Hungarian companies of various sizes. The research employed a mixed-method approach, combining semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. In-depth interviews were conducted with HR leaders from 13 Hungarian organizations to explore the existence of mentoring programs. Additionally, 161 employees across Hungary completed questionnaires, which examined their perspectives on onboarding processes and the relationship between mentoring programs and company size. We analyzed the data using chi-square tests to assess the strength of these relationships. While all large companies in our sample had formal mentoring programs, smaller companies displayed more variability, with some relying on informal or ad-hoc onboarding processes. Based on these results, we identified several key areas for improvement in onboarding processes. These include enhancing the structure of feedback interviews, ensuring more comprehensive communication channels, and strengthening mentoring programs across companies of all sizes. By addressing these gaps, companies can improve employee retention, engagement, and overall integration during the onboarding process, contributing to a more stable and motivated workforce.
Open Access: Yes
Structural behaviour of built-up I-shaped CFS columns
Publication Name: Scientific Reports
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The utilization of cold-formed thin-walled members as structural members has gained significant popularity due to their advantages in fabrication, cost-effectiveness, and transportation convenience. However, the reduced thickness of the used sections poses challenges such as global, local, and distortional member buckling, leading to a decrease in their axial strength. This study focuses on addressing these challenges by connecting the channels together using screws as an alternative to welding, considering the cost, time, and ease of implementation. Conducting finite element analysis on structural columns built-up from cold-formed double C steel channels and subjected to axial loads, this paper verifies the numerical models used against experimental tests known from the literature. A comparison of experimental results with nonlinear FEA and AISI & AS/NZ standards reveals commendable agreement, particularly in predicting the buckling behavior of the built-up I-shaped CFS columns. While the results of the finite element analysis show an overestimation of approximately 3.6% compared to the experimental tests, the AISI and AS/NZS standards demonstrate a conservatism of about 3.0%. Furthermore, the current study investigates the influence of screw spacing on axial strength of built-up cold-formed steel columns. The findings are derived from 175 finite element experiments, evaluating seven different cross-sectional profiles with twelve distinct screw spacings. These spacings correspond to the half-wavelength of local, distortional, and global buckling, divided by values ranging from one to four. The screw spacing determined by half the local buckling half-wavelength along the webs’ centerline resulted in enhancements of 22%, 7%, 13%, and 11% in the critical elastic local, distortional, and global column buckling loads, as well as the nominal axial strength, respectively. These increases were even more pronounced for double-lane fasteners with the same spacing, yielding improvements of 25%, 46%, 17%, and 12%, respectively. For economic considerations, it is advisable to utilize single-lane fasteners with a half-wavelength equal to half the local buckling half-wavelength.
Open Access: Yes
Hydrogen Policy Environment in the European Union, Current Status of Policy Uptake
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2023-01-01
Volume: 107
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 499-504
Description:
Hydrogen (H2) can become a crucial technology in building an independent and resilient energy infrastructure. The production and utilisation of green hydrogen will play a crucial role in the energy environment of the European Union in the future. Several strategies were defined, and policy actions were taken. H2 has a comparably high lower heating value and no direct harmful emission during use, so it presents a viable alternative for conventional energy carriers. Independently from the final form of usage, H2 will play a key role in integrating green electricity into the grid, as according to the state-of-the-art, large-scale, long-term energy storage is only feasible in molecules containing H2. H2-based mobility solutions could offer a viable technology for sustainable transportation. This article investigates H2 production and demand in the EU, as well as the directives and incentives of the EU to accelerate H2 production and H2 technologies in general. Based on the existing policies and applications, it reviews the up-to-date status of policy uptake within the EU and gives insights into the different preparedness for the transition to a H2-based energy system of the Member States.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET23107084
A Novel Method to Improve the Defense Security of Railway Transportation
Publication Name: International Journal of Safety and Security Engineering
Publication Date: 2024-12-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 6
Page Range: 1667-1678
Description:
Rail transport is used not only by the civil sector but also by military transportation. This duality makes it crucial to maintain the functionality and security of the system. This research aims to determine the combined impact on maintaining the sector's functionality by analyzing the elements of civil transport safety and military defense security. The result of the research is the definition of a new evaluation index (RDSI) as a synthesis of the security and security factors, which can consider transport safety and defense security requirements. The calculated value of the index provides an idea of the civil safety and military security improvements needed on a railway line, thus increasing the level of protection and resilience of a country. Further use of the index can help to identify weak points of the rail transport system, give an idea of the protective utility of a railway line, find bypasses, and improve the impact of climate change on rail transport. The effectiveness of the index is demonstrated through a case analysis.
Open Access: Yes
Sustainability Analysis of the Financial Situation of Hungarian Food Companies
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 114
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 943-948
Description:
In this study, the economic and financial performance of the Hungarian food industry sector sample between 2017 and 2022 was examined, with a special focus on the sustainable development rate. The increasingly prominent adverse economic and environmental changes in recent years have had a strong impact on firm-level performance, which can cause national economic problems in a strategic sector such as the food industry. The assessment relied mainly on information from a financial position and profit and loss accounts. The data were used to determine financial ratios and to calculate different growth rates, which were used to analyse the financing and sustainable growth issues of the sector. The number of Hungarian food processing enterprises has gradually declined over the period under study, with a concentration trend in terms of enterprise size, form and employment structure, as well as within sectors. Turnover and expenditure show linear growth at current prices, with increases in the various profit categories. The asset structure is stable, and profitability is improving. The number of companies and employment in the sector has been steadily declining in recent years, while efficiency is increasing, with total sector turnover approaching HUF 6.5 × 1012. The increase in profits in the food industry is remarkable for all branches of the economy. The sector is adapting well to the negative effects of the changing economic environment. The results of the study can help business leaders in their planning work when considering the evolution of growth rates, particularly the Sustainable Growth Rate.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET24114158
Combination of Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy Systems
Publication Name: Chemical Engineering Transactions
Publication Date: 2024-01-01
Volume: 114
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 913-918
Description:
It is now not a question anymore that the fossil fuel-based energy system of human civilization has to be converted into a sustainable energy cycle during the 21st century. In most cases, the introduction of related, novel energetical technologies and solutions leads to disadvantageous interferences with other fields of life. Perhaps the most critical example is the competition between the energy sector and the food industry for valuable agricultural land. Although the two utilization purposes are generally considered mutually exclusive, there are agro-energetical solutions where the two goals are not just indifferent, but they expressly increase each other's efficiency. Such solutions are the agro-photovoltaic systems, where photovoltaic panels are installed in a way that is advantageous for the crops below them. Some plants, such as berries, prefer shady to semi-shady environments, which can be optimally provided under partially covered PV fields. With the active control of the PV panels, ideal shading conditions and even mechanical protection can be ensured in case of extreme weather events. With the appropriate selection of the crop plants and the PV installation, cultivation processes are not hindered, can be highly automated, and the energy needs can be fully covered by the local PV system. From the above description, it is clear that the realization of efficient agro-photovoltaic systems is not just possible but really prosperous. This study offers a more detailed overview of currently realized solutions around the world, as well as a thorough planning process of an agro-photovoltaic project at the ZalaZONE test center, optimized for the Hungarian climatic and agricultural conditions and possibilities.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.3303/CET24114153
Integrating Behavioral and Technical Competencies: An Exploratory Project Management Model for Automotive R&D
Publication Name: International Journal of Research in Industrial Engineering
Publication Date: 2025-09-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 4
Page Range: 669-704
Description:
The study addresses the growing demand for evidence-based methods to assess the effectiveness of project managers in engineering-intensive industries. An exploratory competency model was developed in a German automotive R&D service division, integrating both behavioral and technical dimensions into a quantifiable measure termed the competency coefficient (K). Ten project managers, classified as either superior or average performers, were evaluated across 20 individual competencies. Behavioral Event Interview (BEI) results revealed substantial differences between the two groups, with effect sizes exceeding d = 2.0 for competencies such as concern for order, customer orientation, and impact and influence, while core cognitive competencies Analytical thinking (AT), conceptual thinking (CT), information seeking (INFO) demonstrated significant but more variable effects (d = 1.2–2.0). Expert panel evaluations (n = 33) showed strong consensus (Kendall’s W = 0.59, p <.001), with average relevance scores above 80%. Sensitivity analyses of alternative weighting schemes for the K metric (e.g., 3–2–1; 4–2–1; 5–3–1) yielded highly stable rankings (Spearman’s ρ ≥ 0.97), indicating robustness of the results. Initial validation against project performance indicators suggested significant positive correlations (r = 0.65–0.88, p <.01) between K values and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Within the examined automotive R&D division, the findings suggest that individual competencies—particularly cognitive and INFO skills—were the most distinctive differentiators of high-performing project managers, whereas technical expertise alone did not explain performance differences. The competency coefficient provides a structured, quantifiable framework for linking competencies to project outcomes, though further validation across broader datasets and organizational contexts remains necessary.
Open Access: Yes
