ALBERT

Description: The selection of a proper machinery system is one of the primary decisions to be taken during the ship-design phase. Nonetheless, this selection is made challenging by the presence of a variety of alternatives, and by the limited data availability at the early stages of the design phase. An optimization framework is presented in this paper, supporting decision making at the earliest stages of the ship-design process. The framework is suitable to perform the screening and the selection of optimal machinery configurations for a predefined ship operational profile, and it includes both linear and non-linear optimization routines. The results of the linear and the non-linear approaches are compared, and indications on what conditions are the most suitable for the application of one or the other approach are provided. Both approaches are tested for two case studies, a bulk carrier and a small cruise ship. The results indicate that both optimization approaches lead to the same layout of the machinery system, but to slightly different unit scheduling. This suggests that the use of the linear approach is suitable for design purposes, but less appropriate for operational optimization. In addition, the findings of the work suggest that the trade-off between fuel consumption and volume of the engines should be considered when selecting the machinery system for a ship.

Description: The lack of consumer acceptance for remanufactured products is preventing the transition towards sustainable consumption. When knowledge about remanufacturing among consumers is limited, more insight is required into the consumer’s expectations. The purpose of this paper is to examine the consumer’s expectations and willingness to engage in sustainable purchasing behaviour when considering buying remanufactured robotic lawn mowers. The theory of planned behaviour and variables from green marketing help form the research model, which was tested empirically using survey data from 118 samples. The results indicate that sustainable purchasing behaviour of remanufactured robotic lawn mowers is primarily influenced by the consumer’s attitude and evaluation of the remanufactured product, and less so by external influences. Consumers expecting high product quality, low price, and low risk, had a positive evaluation and were therefore more willing to engage in sustainable purchasing behaviour of remanufactured robotic lawn mowers. More concisely, consumers value performance and price reductions, and worry about the time the remanufactured robotic lawn mower remains functional. Environmental knowledge among consumers is sufficient but cannot be fully translated into positive evaluations and sustainable purchases of remanufactured robotic lawn mowers. This research provides guidance for how remanufacturing firms can improve their circular marketing and remanufacturing strategies.