Abstract: Fatigue is a significant concern in aviation, impacting flight safety across all operational task and occupational fields. However, the concept of fatigue is not universally understood, and its effects differ between occupational fields in aviation. Contributing factors to fatigue (antecedents) are numerous and may differ by occupational group, with existing evidence varying significantly across groups. To address this, we analyzed each group separately to identify unique task characteristics and investigated the given findings on antecedents, systematically reporting and calculating effect sizes where available. This approach reveals that some occupational groups have been extensively researched while others have been largely neglected, and that most antecedents have been investigated using subjective methods, which may introduce measurement biases.
Vehicle manufacturers are to reduce the CO₂ emissions of new trucks dramatically within the next decade. That requires to consider emission-free/neutral vehicles in the fleet mix. Especially for the application of heavy-duty (HD) long haul trucks, fuel cell powered trucks demand a holistic concept for the integration of the entire powertrain, its auxiliaries and the complete vehicle’s energy management. In an internally funded research project, AVL built up a Fuel Cell Technology Demonstrator Truck. This vehicle is not intended to go into series production but to show leading-edge solution to challenges these vehicles are facing today. Due to the length restrictions of semi-trailer trucks in Europe, packaging into the chassis without having a rack behind the cabin is an issue as well as the ambient temperature level, at which the fuel system is to be derated. Solutions are highlighted in the article how to reach the performance of today’s standard diesel trucks. Furthermore, the achievements in fuel cell development are pointed out. The insights obtained in the development and prototype testing phase of AVL’s Gen 0-based high-power heavy-duty fuel cell system, the new AVL Gen 1 stack platform was developed to address the needs of commercial vehicles. The new stack platform guarantees high power (200 kW) at high efficiency (56%) in a single cell row, providing the basis for dedicated fuel cell system optimization to reduce complexity, weight, volume and fuel consumption, while achieving the performance and lifetime requirements of fuel cell powered commercial vehicles. Finally, AVL’s contribution to the development of electrolyzers is presented to provide green hydrogen for mobility and other industrial applications. AVL has successfully participated in the development of stack prototypes and solutions in the megawatt range.
Power-to-Liquid as one of the Power-to-X pathways represents an option to store renewable energy in long-chain hydrocarbons as energy carriers. This work shows AVL’s most recent development and integration achievements of an optimized Co-SOEC system, together with Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and product treatment, with intention of potential system efficiency increase of one of the possible Power-to-Liquid pathways implementation. Within an Austrian funded project, AVL is committed to the entire Co-SOEC system development for providing necessary syngas (H2+CO), as feed for Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The main target is to build a 200 kW PtL demonstration plant, and to demonstrate a significant efficiency increase compared to state-of-the-art production pathways. The project offered the unique possibility to optimize operation and integration of both, Co-SOEC and FT-process in coupled manner by transferring excess heat from exothermic FT-reactor to the endothermic Co-SOEC system and utilizing product tail gas which cannot be vented into the atmosphere but still contains significant amounts of chemical energy. The benefit of using Co-SOEC technology as well as the heat integration has been seen as major technological and efficiency advantage over competitive low-temperature electrolysis FT-based PtL solutions. Excess thermal energy from FT-synthesis is used for the Co-SOEC feed evaporation step. Additional heat integration part is combustion heat utilized from partial tail gas feed. On the other side, by having simultaneous steam and CO 2 electrolysis in Co-SOEC plant, necessary reverse water shift gas reactor installation can be avoided, which makes Co-SOEC a key enabler for highly efficient SAF production. Through recirculation rate analysis, together with variations of operating conditions, the optimal operating conditions and feed concentrations have been defined for safe Co-SOEC operation with reduced risk of carbon formation. Furthermore, in case of any carbon formation, regeneration strategies were developed to increase system lifetimes significantly. The high-temperature electrolysis system provides herein 16% decrease of necessary electricity consumption per kWh/l of e-fuel. The consumption decreases even up to 37% when efficient thermal coupling and Co-SOEC have been integrated. Performed dynamic simulation results have proven feasibility of defined operating points and operating strategy. Several test campaigns (stack module testing, 10-cell stack durability testing, subsystem testing) have been successfully executed with intention of durability, prove of concept verifications and risk mitigation. Additional economic analysis has been performed based on current design simulations and component tests, considering plant CAPEX, full load operating hours and electricity price. Co-SOEC system build up and testing is planned in 2025 and complete PtL plant integration for 2026. This demonstration will be the building block for MW-scale PtL plant.
Digital product passports (DPPs) may help bridge prevailing information gaps along value chains, and thus support actors’ sustainable product management (SPM) decisions by providing needed product life cycle data. However, different factors influence their successful adoption. This paper provides empirical insights into the perceived potential of DPP adoption in SPM. The focus was placed on DPPs for electric vehicle batteries. Research entailed conducting stakeholder online focus group workshops, expert interviews, follow-up stakeholder consultations, and subsequent qualitative content analysis. Diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory and the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework were used as theoretical basis. The results illustrate stakeholder perspectives on DPP use in SPM support, as well as stakeholder classification based on innovation adopter categories of DOI theory. Furthermore, DPP adoption barriers, enablers and drivers are presented and discussed in the context of the TOE framework and DOI theory. This paper adds to the literature on digitalization as an enabler of SPM and circular value chains, and to the field of innovation adoption and diffusion in the context of DPPs. As the identified DPP adoption factors help support the uptake of DPPs in facilitating SPM, it is also of clear practical relevance.
This chapter outlines the importance of lead management and its position within the organization. It is important to realize that the well-established AIDA model still provides a framework on the modern journey of a potential customer to a converted sale. The author gives an overview of the funnel concept including all funnel steps and their definitions, as well as details on how these are connected to marketing and sales. Further, the chapter describes B2B market specifics related to the funnel concept. The transitions between the funnel parts mark important states of the customer journey and reveal most critical KPIs. Successful lead management is only possible if the goals of the lead and marketing funnel are derived from sales targets. An organization is bound to fail if the aims of these important departments are not aligned. All aspects of lead management and the relationship between marketing and sales, are combined in the Lead Management Maturity Model. For the first time, publicized LMM Model provides a framework for the assessment and the development of company organizations. This scheme allows an organization to assess and act on striving toward the ideal state of marketing, lead management, and sales.
