Search or add a thesis

Advanced Search (Beta)
Home > Global Facility Location: A Hybrid Modeling Approach

Global Facility Location: A Hybrid Modeling Approach

Thesis Info

Access Option

External Link

Author

Hafiz Muhammad Khurram Ali

Program

PhD

Institute

University of Engineering and Technology

City

Taxila

Province

Punjab

Country

Pakistan

Thesis Completing Year

2015

Thesis Completion Status

Completed

Subject

Industrial Engineering

Language

English

Link

http://prr.hec.gov.pk/jspui/bitstream/123456789/13631/1/Hafiz%20Muhammad%20Khurram%20Ali%20PhD%20Thesis%2010_14-UET_PhD-IE-04.docx

Added

2021-02-17 19:49:13

Modified

2024-03-24 20:25:49

ARI ID

1676724735235

Asian Research Index Whatsapp Chanel
Asian Research Index Whatsapp Chanel

Join our Whatsapp Channel to get regular updates.

Similar


The globalization and saturated domestic markets force international firms to gradually expand their businesses across the borders to capture potential markets. Global Facility Location (GFL) is a crucial and irreversible decision for top management of the global business firms, searching for potential countries in global markets. It, therefore, requires a broader analysis of a large number of influencing criteria. There are hardly any GFL studies focusing on the real world uncertainties, future dynamics and interaction of GFL stakeholders. . This work is about establishing a new platform for dynamic analysis of GFL problems by screening out the most critical influencing parameters and establishing an initial pattern of Agent Based Modeling (ABM), an ecological modeling approach which considers all the individual components of a system as interacting agents. Models using conventional approaches are developed which showed the need for developing hybrid approaches particularly due to many limitations associated with conventional modeling (like dynamic priorities and stochasticity etc.).Using a hybrid Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (F-AHP), the parameters initially explored from literature are prioritized and rankings in terms of objective-functions are calculated for a selected set of countries for Global Cement Plant Location Problem (GCPLP). The results of F-AHP models in terms of screened out parameters and Country Objective Functions (COF’s) are used as inputs to the ABM platform. The investor agent senses the country objective-functions (COF’s) in agent-set of countries and moves for plant installation to one with highest COF value. One of the difficulties in working with ABM’s has been the lack of a structured documenting and validation procedure to transparently record and present the detailed procedural steps of Agent Based Modeling and Simulations. This difficulty can be overcome by adopting one of the latest approaches called TRACE which is a format for TRAnsparent and Comprehensive model “Evaludation” (Evaluation + Validation) of ecological/ABM models. A case of four different cement plant locations are selected and modeled using conventional and hybrid modeling approaches. Routines are coded in respective software of each methodology (e.g. NetLogo®). A real world data from different global databases including the World Bank are used to solve the models. The model solutions are in the form of priority weights calculated for different parameters and the country rankings. However the results of hybrid ABM-GFL are more flexible and comprehensive than other methodologies as it not only considers the mutli-objective nature of the GFL problem but also takes into account the real world ambiguities in data pools and expert opinions and deals with dynamic priorities and stochastic country ratings which are changing over the time span of simulation. The methodology is validated using recommended ABM steps as required in the TRACE format. Moreover statistical tests are also applied to the generated data which not only validate the methodology but also provide more meaningful conclusions. In the end a comparative evaluation of conventional and hybrid methodologies highlights different aspects of the modeling approaches with respect to practical observations and generated results. It has been learnt in this particular study that the factors specifically related to cement industry and the sub-factors of cost are the most sensitive while legal regulations and economic conditions are relatively less critical. The countries having strong lime stone reserves, cheaper fuel costs and good internal marketing positions are, therefore, higher in ranking. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is mostly at the top most position due to its cheaper fuels while China is only marginally lower than KSA because of the lowest initial investment costs. India is also a good competitor mainly because of its stability. Pakistan has strong limestone reserves and a good marketing position. It is noteworthy that results of the hybrid approach are much flexible and more practical than others.
Loading...
Loading...

Similar Books

Loading...

Similar Chapters

Loading...

Similar News

Loading...

Similar Articles

Loading...

Similar Article Headings

Loading...

میں تاں سمجھیا عطر گلاب دا اے

میں تاں سمجھیا عطر گلاب دا اے
ہلکی جئی سی چنی مس ہو گئی
پتلی جئی کمر پئی انج لگے
جیویں کمر اندر کمر کس ہو گئی
دن رات پئے اسیں پکار کردے
عشق وچ ساڈی بس بس ہو گئی
صدقے پاک درود دے شہد مکھی
رس چوس کے پھلاں دا رس ہو گئی
پھل کر دے گئے نیں راہ سارے
ہک وار سی خوشی نال ہس ہو گئی
کئی ورھیاں نشہ نہ اتریا اے
میرے نال سی تھوڑی جئی مس ہو گئی
یار بے پرواہ دی شان اچی
ساڈی قدر ایتھے خس خس ہو گئی
ہک وار مدینے بلا سانوں
گل وس تھیں ہن بے وس ہو گئی

Introducing an Unexplored South Asian Treatise on I‘jāz Al-Qur’an

The present paper explores and introduces a manuscript on i‘jaz al-Qur’ān (inimitability of the Qur’ān) named Nūr al- Īqān bi i‘jaz al-Qur’ān written by a profound South Asian Sindhi Scholar, Maulana Muhammad Ismā‘īl al-Ūdvī. The field of i‘jaz al-Qur’ān has been and is the field of interest of many Muslim as well as non-Muslim theologians and scholars. Many Muslim scholars of the Middle East and the West have written books and research papers from third/ninth Century up to present times. The main and significant reason for this is that the doctrine of i‘jaz al- Qur’ān proves the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him. This paper argues that Shaikh al-Ūdvī is the first South Asian Sindhi Muslim Scholar, who wrote a separate treatise in Arabic on the doctrine of i‘jaz al-Qur’ān, which is not introduced properly in academic circles of the day. In this treatise, al-Ūdvī has advanced some new and original arguments to support the doctrine and the prophecy of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

Effect of Mixed Industrial Wastewater on Soil, Tree Biomass Production and Trace Metal Uptake

Although the agricultural use of wastewater raises some environmental and human health concerns, irrigation with wastewater is usually carried out by smallholders in dry areas. The present study reports on the physiological effect of several dilutions of the raw wastewater of the Hudiara drain on Dalbergia sissoo and Eucalyptus camaldulensis plants. Six-month old seedlings were established in pots and irrigated for 18 months with: tap water (control, T 0 ); 25% wastewater (T 1 ); 50% wastewater (T 2 ); 75% wastewater (T 3 ); and 100% wastewater (T 4 ). Results showed that the plant growth parameters decreased as the percent of wastewater increased. At T 4 the shoot length, number of leaves, leaf fresh weight, and leaf oven dry weight were reduced by 17%, 72%, 72%, and 70% in Dalbergia sisoo and 5%, 17%, 23%, and 29% in Eucalyptus camaldulensis plants respectively, compared to the control (T 0 ). The content of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll increased in Dalbergia sissoo plants treated with wastewater at 25%, but decreased in the T 2 , T 3 , and T 4 treatments. Whereas chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll increased up to T 2 in E. camaldulensis, in treated pots beyond that percentage, a decline in chlorophyll was observed. As the percentage of wastewater in the treatments increased, the accumulation of Na, Cd and Cr in tissues increased, while the concentration of K, P, Mg, and Fe decreased. Similarly, Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Dalbergia sissoo plants were irrigated with synthetic wastewater containing Cd and Cr for 18 months. Treatments were T 0 = Tap water (control); T 1 = 0.05+1.0 mg L -1 conc. of Cd(II)+ Cr(VI); T 2 = 0.10+2.0 mg L -1 conc. of Cd(II)+ Cr(VI); T 3 = 0.20+4.0 mg L -1 conc. of Cd(II)+ Cr(VI) and T 4 = 0.40+8.0 mg L -1 conc. of Cd(II)+ Cr(VI). Results showed that plants at T 1 grew more compared to the control, but beyond that level, a gradual decline in growth was recorded with a maximum reduction in T 4 treated plants. Cd and Cr accumulation in tissues increased (roots>shoot>leaves) as external metal concentration increased, while nutrient accumulation (K, P, Mg, Fe) and chlorophyll content declined. However, the application of synthetic wastewater containing various concentrations (0, 10, 20, 40 and 80 mg L -1 ) of Cd and Cr on the growth of Dalbergia sissoo at the seedling stage for four weeks under controlled conditions in a growthii chamber (300 μmol m -2 s -1 of photosynthetically active radiation with 16:8 hours photoperiod) revealed a decline in growth after 10 mg L -1 and 40 mg L -1 for Cr and Cd, respectively. A combined application of Cd and Cr wastewater showed a growth reduction at doses above 20 mg L -1 . Results showed that Cr was more toxic to Dalbergia sissoo plants at the seedling stage than Cd. The present study suggests that wastewater from the Hudiara drain diluted to 25% and 50% with tap water is a feasible option for the growth of D. sissoo and E. camaldulensis plants in Lahore, Pakistan. A phytosociological survey using the Braun-Blanquet’s approach was undertaken to investigate the influence of the Hudiara drain wastewater on the surrounding vegetation. Multivariate analysis of vegetation data classified the vegetation into two major communities including, Cynodon dactylon and Boerhaavia diffusa, and Parthenium hysterphorus and Xanthium strumarium groups. The fervent growth of these species designated the area as wasteland. The patterns of floral diversity exhibited considerable variation. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) revealed that the distribution of vegetation correlates with environmental variables, but their role in the grouping of species was not significant. However, soil EC played a role in the grouping of Stellaria media and Fagonia cretic. Similarly, some species, namely Riccinus communis, Boerhaavia diffusa and Phragmites karka showed a correlation with Fe and Cr respectively, suggesting Phragmites karka as a suitable candidate for chromium contaminated sites.