J.J. Meerman | TU Delft Repository

Stimulating adolescents' physical well-being by gamification

The design of a product-service combination called: Move on

Master thesis (2018) - Jelle Meerman, Wilhelm Frederik van der Vegte, Mathieu Gielen

This thesis describes the design of the product-service combination called Move on. Move on is designed to stimulate adolescents to be more physically active. This stimulation is done by gamification, which therefore can be considered as serious gaming product. This thesis starts with a literature analysis of the decreasing level of childrens’ physical well-being. Added to this analysis, is a literature research on the increased digitalization among children to see if there is a connection between their increased screen-time and the decreasing level of fitness. A relation between digitalization and emotional behavior, and digitalization and social relationships, has also been taken into account.
It seems that there is no clear proof of the coherency between the increasing digitalization and decreasing physical activity. Which was a positive result, since the advantages of the digitalization could be taken into account when designing a product for children. After finding out that the adolescents, of all children, spend the most time stuck to their screens, the target group for the ideation phase was determined. A target group analysis and a market analysis eventually lead, together with the previous insights, to a full program of requirements and therefore the end of the design brief. The design brief created the base for the next phase: the synthesis phase. Within the synthesis phase of the product development, some concept directions were found. These concept directions lead to some iteration steps which eventually resulted in the embodiment phase of the Move on. The embodiment phase describes the final concept with regard to its materials, production method, and price estimation. An important part of the Move on, is that it is able to recognize the user motion. This motion will be converted to a reward, which the user can use in their favorite game. Since this motion recognition plays a big role in the product, a basic machine learning validation is executed. Data from walking and running sessions is used to actually predict if the user is walking or running. This validation succeeded with a hit rate value of 96 percent. The end of the thesis will describe recommended steps fur future development of the product, together with a project and a personal evaluation. ...

This thesis describes the design of the product-service combination called Move on. Move on is designed to stimulate adolescents to be more physically active. This stimulation is done by gamification, which therefore can be considered as serious gaming product. This thesis starts with a literature analysis of the decreasing level of childrens’ physical well-being. Added to this analysis, is a literature research on the increased digitalization among children to see if there is a connection between their increased screen-time and the decreasing level of fitness. A relation between digitalization and emotional behavior, and digitalization and social relationships, has also been taken into account.
It seems that there is no clear proof of the coherency between the increasing digitalization and decreasing physical activity. Which was a positive result, since the advantages of the digitalization could be taken into account when designing a product for children. After finding out that the adolescents, of all children, spend the most time stuck to their screens, the target group for the ideation phase was determined. A target group analysis and a market analysis eventually lead, together with the previous insights, to a full program of requirements and therefore the end of the design brief. The design brief created the base for the next phase: the synthesis phase. Within the synthesis phase of the product development, some concept directions were found. These concept directions lead to some iteration steps which eventually resulted in the embodiment phase of the Move on. The embodiment phase describes the final concept with regard to its materials, production method, and price estimation. An important part of the Move on, is that it is able to recognize the user motion. This motion will be converted to a reward, which the user can use in their favorite game. Since this motion recognition plays a big role in the product, a basic machine learning validation is executed. Data from walking and running sessions is used to actually predict if the user is walking or running. This validation succeeded with a hit rate value of 96 percent. The end of the thesis will describe recommended steps fur future development of the product, together with a project and a personal evaluation.

Techno-economic assessment of CO ₂ capture at steam methane reforming facilities using commercially available technology

Journal article (2012) - J. C. Meerman, E. S. Hamborg, T. van Keulen, A. Ramírez, W. C. Turkenburg, A. P.C. Faaij

This study aimed to identify the optimal techno-economic configuration of CO ₂ capture at steam methane reforming facilities using currently available technologies by means of process simulations. Results indicate that the optimal system is CO ₂ capture with ADIP-X located between the water-gas shift and pressure swing adsorption units. Process simulations of this system configuration showed a CO ₂ emission reduction of 60% at 41€/t CO ₂ avoidance. This is at the lower end of the range reported in open literature for CO ₂ capture at refineries (26-82€/t CO ₂) and below the avoidance costs for CO ₂ capture at natural gas-fired power plants (44-93€/t CO ₂). CO ₂ avoidance costs are dominated by the natural gas consumption, responsible for up to 66% of total costs. Using imported steam and electricity can reduce CO ₂ avoidance costs by 45%. Addition of small amounts of piperazine to aqueous MDEA solutions results in up to 70% smaller absorbers or 10% lower reboiler heat duty. Optimising the whole capture process instead of individual units resulted in lower piperazine concentrations than the common industrial practice (3mass% vs. 5mass%). Finally, keeping the solvent rate constant when operating the capture unit below its design load resulted in a lower specific energy for CO ₂ capture than when the solvent rate was downscaled with the syngas flow. ...

Performance of simulated flexible integrated gasification polygeneration facilities. Part A

A technical-energetic assessment

Review (2011) - J. C. Meerman, A. Ramírez, W. C. Turkenburg, A. P.C. Faaij

This article investigates technical possibilities and performances of flexible integrated gasification polygeneration (IG-PG) facilities equipped with CO₂ capture for the near future. These facilities can produce electricity during peak hours, while switching to the production of chemicals during off-peak hours. Several simulations were performed to investigate the influence of substituting feedstock and production on IG-PG facility output, load and efficiency. These simulations were done using a detailed AspenPlus simulation model of a Shell entrained flow gasifier combined with conversion facilities. In this model carbon-rich feedstocks (oil residues, coal and biomass) were converted to a variety of products (H₂, electricity, FT-liquids, methanol and urea) using state-of-the-art technology. The size of the gasifier was limited to the equivalent of 2000 MW_th Il #6 coal input. Overall efficiency of the simulated non-flexible configurations to convert pure coal or pure wood pellets to electricity (40%_HHV vs 38%_HHV), FT-liquids (60%_HHV vs 55%_HHV), methanol (53%_HHV vs 49%_HHV) or urea (51%_HHV vs 47%_HHV) are in good agreement with the literature. Using torrefied wood pellets instead of pure wood pellets reduces the penalty drop in efficiency compared to coal. Moreover, torrefied wood pellets have superior energetic density, handling and feeding compared to wood pellets. In this analysis, the H₂:CO ratio of the sweet syngas was fixed to match FT-liquids criterion. As a result, overall CO₂ capture rates are low, around 56-65%, depending on the feedstock used. Still, especially with FT-liquids and methanol production, CO₂ emissions at the facility are significantly reduced; less than 20% of the carbon feedstock entering the facility is emitted with the flue gas. Applying biomass and CO₂ capture shows great opportunities to produce CO₂-neutral electricity or chemicals. When the biomass fraction exceeds 40% on an energy basis, production is CO ₂-neutral, independent of what is produced. Biomass can be co-fed up till 50% on an energy basis. Higher fractions cause significant fouling on cooling equipment. A small part-load penalty is observed during the substitution of coal by biomass. When changing from pure coal to pure wood pellets, the power case suffers a 2.5% efficiency drop, while all three chemical cases have an efficiency drop of less than 1%. At the same time total output is reduced to 67-69%, mainly because of the lower energy density of biomass. By over-dimensioning the gasifier and gas cleanup and optimisation section this drop can be eliminated. The syngas can be tailored to the desired composition regardless of the used feedstock. Therefore, the chemical conversion sections only have to cope with a reduction in syngas flow and not with a change in syngas composition. Altering production between chemicals and electricity is possible, although the load of the conversion sections should remain between 40% and 100% to prevent operational problems. This gives a high degree of flexibility. Complete substitution between chemical and power production while using the same feedstock is possible for the methanol and urea cases. The FT-liquids case is restricted to 60-100% load of the chemical conversion section to prevent that the gas turbine load is reduced below 40%. The economic aspects of flexible IG-PG facilities are addressed in part B. ...

This article investigates technical possibilities and performances of flexible integrated gasification polygeneration (IG-PG) facilities equipped with CO₂ capture for the near future. These facilities can produce electricity during peak hours, while switching to the production of chemicals during off-peak hours. Several simulations were performed to investigate the influence of substituting feedstock and production on IG-PG facility output, load and efficiency. These simulations were done using a detailed AspenPlus simulation model of a Shell entrained flow gasifier combined with conversion facilities. In this model carbon-rich feedstocks (oil residues, coal and biomass) were converted to a variety of products (H₂, electricity, FT-liquids, methanol and urea) using state-of-the-art technology. The size of the gasifier was limited to the equivalent of 2000 MW_th Il #6 coal input. Overall efficiency of the simulated non-flexible configurations to convert pure coal or pure wood pellets to electricity (40%_HHV vs 38%_HHV), FT-liquids (60%_HHV vs 55%_HHV), methanol (53%_HHV vs 49%_HHV) or urea (51%_HHV vs 47%_HHV) are in good agreement with the literature. Using torrefied wood pellets instead of pure wood pellets reduces the penalty drop in efficiency compared to coal. Moreover, torrefied wood pellets have superior energetic density, handling and feeding compared to wood pellets. In this analysis, the H₂:CO ratio of the sweet syngas was fixed to match FT-liquids criterion. As a result, overall CO₂ capture rates are low, around 56-65%, depending on the feedstock used. Still, especially with FT-liquids and methanol production, CO₂ emissions at the facility are significantly reduced; less than 20% of the carbon feedstock entering the facility is emitted with the flue gas. Applying biomass and CO₂ capture shows great opportunities to produce CO₂-neutral electricity or chemicals. When the biomass fraction exceeds 40% on an energy basis, production is CO ₂-neutral, independent of what is produced. Biomass can be co-fed up till 50% on an energy basis. Higher fractions cause significant fouling on cooling equipment. A small part-load penalty is observed during the substitution of coal by biomass. When changing from pure coal to pure wood pellets, the power case suffers a 2.5% efficiency drop, while all three chemical cases have an efficiency drop of less than 1%. At the same time total output is reduced to 67-69%, mainly because of the lower energy density of biomass. By over-dimensioning the gasifier and gas cleanup and optimisation section this drop can be eliminated. The syngas can be tailored to the desired composition regardless of the used feedstock. Therefore, the chemical conversion sections only have to cope with a reduction in syngas flow and not with a change in syngas composition. Altering production between chemicals and electricity is possible, although the load of the conversion sections should remain between 40% and 100% to prevent operational problems. This gives a high degree of flexibility. Complete substitution between chemical and power production while using the same feedstock is possible for the methanol and urea cases. The FT-liquids case is restricted to 60-100% load of the chemical conversion section to prevent that the gas turbine load is reduced below 40%. The economic aspects of flexible IG-PG facilities are addressed in part B.

Assessing the economic feasibility of flexible integrated gasification co-generation facilities

Journal article (2011) - J. C. Meerman, A. Ramírez, W. C. Turkenburg, A. P.C. Faaij

This paper evaluated the economic effects of introducing flexibility to state-of-the-art integrated gasification co-generation (IGCG) facilities equipped with CO2 capture. In a previous paper the technical and energetic performances of these flexible IG-CG facilities were evaluated. This paper investigated how market conditions affect the economics of flexible IG-CG facilities by analyzing several case studies. The IG-CG facilities used Eucalyptus wood pellets, torrefied wood pellets and Illinois #6 coal as feedstock and produced electricity, FT-liquids, methanol and urea. Results indicated that currently biomass is, compared to coal, too expansive. Therefore, feedstock flexibility is not attractive. Production flexibility between chemical and electricity production under current economic conditions reduces the profitability of the IG-CG facility. Therefore, with state-of-the-art technology and the current economic climate, introducing flexibility to IG-CG facilities is not economically profitable. ...