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Article
Publication date: 3 September 2024

Yongming Wang, Jinlong Wang, Qi Zhou, Sai Feng and Xiaomin Wang

This study aims to address the issues of limited pipe diameter adaptability and low inspection efficiency of current pipeline inspection robots, a new type of pipeline inspection…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to address the issues of limited pipe diameter adaptability and low inspection efficiency of current pipeline inspection robots, a new type of pipeline inspection robot capable of adapting to various pipe diameters was designed.

Design/methodology/approach

The diameter-changing mechanism uses a multilink elastic telescopic structure consisting of telescopic rods, connecting rods and wheel frames, driven by a single motor with a helical drive scheme. A geometric model of the position relationships of the hinge points was established based on the two extreme positions of the diameter-changing mechanism.

Findings

A pipeline inspection robot was designed using a simple linkage agency, which significantly reduced the weight of the robot and enhanced its adaptive pipe diameter ability. The analysis determined that the robot could accommodate pipe diameters ranging from 332 mm to 438 mm. A static equilibrium equation was established for the robot in the hovering state, and the minimum pressing force of the wheels against the pipe wall was determined to be 36.68 N. After experimental testing, the robots could successfully pass a height of 15 mm, demonstrating the good obstacle capacity of the robot.

Practical implications

This paper explores and proposes a new type of multilink elastic telescopic variable diameter pipeline inspection robot, which has the characteristics of strong adaptability and flexible operation, which makes it more competitive in the field of pipeline inspection robots and has great potential market value.

Originality/value

The robot is characterized by the innovative design of a multilink elastic telescopic structure and the use of a single motor to drive the wheel for spiral motion. On the basis of reducing the weight of the robot, it has good pipeline adaptability, climbing ability and obstacle-crossing ability.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2024

Xiaomin Du, Nuoyan Wang, Shan Lu, Ao Zhang and Sang-Bing Tsai

This study aims to investigate how a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage is influenced by the combination of entrepreneurial ecological orientation, digital transformation…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how a firm’s sustainable competitive advantage is influenced by the combination of entrepreneurial ecological orientation, digital transformation and dynamic capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the qualitative comparative analysis method, this study systematically explores the significant key conditions and configuration effects that affect the growth of sustainable competitive advantage. This study uncovers the causal relationship and complex mechanisms underlying the sustainable and unsustainable competitive advantages for new ventures, by examining the grouping effects of the above three factors – entrepreneurial ecological orientation, digital transformation and dynamic capabilities on those advantages.

Findings

A single factor fails to constitute a necessary condition for sustainable competitive advantage. Three types of configurations are beneficial to sustainable competitive advantage, namely, flexible and responsive type, dynamically adjusted type and type of opportunity resource integration, whereas four types of configurations lead to the unsustainable competitive advantage of new ventures, namely, type of organizational rigidity, informal entrepreneurial type, information-blocking type and technology-deficient type.

Originality/value

According to this study, adopting an entrepreneurial ecological orientation is a novel strategic move. This study offers an extensive review of three aspects of entrepreneurial ecological orientation, dynamic capacities and digital transformation and their mutually synergistic cascading effects on the sustainable competitive advantage of new ventures. This study investigates how three dimensions interact to achieve sustainable competitive advantage for firms, ultimately contributing to the study of sustainable competitive advantage strategies from an entrepreneurial ecosystem perspective.

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2024

Jingqi Zhang, Shaohua Jiang and Xiaomin Qi

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive study on building, fire and evacuation, so as to effectively improve the efficiency of building fire evacuation and the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive study on building, fire and evacuation, so as to effectively improve the efficiency of building fire evacuation and the management level of fire evacuation site. Make up for the difficulties of BIM technology in effectively connecting building information and fire data.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this paper establishes a fire model and an evacuation model based on BIM information. Then, the safety index (SI) is introduced as a comprehensive index, and the IRI is established by integrating the SI function to evaluate the safety of evacuation routes. Based on these two indices, the IRI-based fire evacuation model is established.

Findings

This study offers an Improved Risk Index (IRI)-based fire evacuation model, which may achieve effective evacuation in fire scenes. And the model is verified by taking the fire evacuation of a shopping center building as an example.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a fire evacuation principle based on IRI, so that the relevant personnel can comprehensively consider the fire factors and evacuation factors to achieve the optimization of building design, thereby improving the fire safety of buildings.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2023

Xiaomin Qi, Qiang Du, Patrick X.W. Zou and Ning Huang

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model considering synergy effect for prefabricated construction service combination selection.

212

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model considering synergy effect for prefabricated construction service combination selection.

Design/methodology/approach

This research defines prefabricated construction service as a service-led construction method that meets the specific requirements of clients. Based on network theory, the multi-dimensional collaborative relationships of the prefabricated construction inter-services are formulated. The synergy effect is quantitatively calculated through the linear weighting of the strengths of collaborative relationships. Further, a weighted synergy network (WSN) is developed, from which a service composition selection model considering the synergy effect is established. Then, a genetic algorithm is employed to implement the model.

Findings

The results showed that (1) when the number of prefabricated construction services is increased, the synergy effect of combination options is enhanced; (2) The finer-grained prefabricated construction services, the stronger the synergy effect of service combination; (3) Clients have heterogeneous preferences for collaborative relationships, and there are differences in the synergy effect of service combination.

Originality/value

The contribution of this research includes proposed a method to quantify the synergy effect from the perspective of collaborative relationships, explored the specific procedure for the prefabricated construction service combination selection under the service-led construction, and provided a reference for promoting the development in construction. Besides, the model proposed could be applied to prefabricated construction service composition selection with diverse research boundaries or client preferences by executing the same procedure.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 31 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 August 2022

Pankaj Singh

The purpose of the present paper is to review studies on weather index-insurance as a tool to manage the climate change impact risk on farmers and to explore the study gaps in the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present paper is to review studies on weather index-insurance as a tool to manage the climate change impact risk on farmers and to explore the study gaps in the currently existing literature by using a systematic literature review.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed and reviewed the 374 articles on weather index insurance (WII) based on a systematic literature search on Web of Science and Scopus databases by using the systematic literature review method.

Findings

WII studies shifted their focus on growing and emerging areas of climate change impact risk. The finding shows that the impact of climate change risk significantly influenced the viability of WII in terms of pricing and design of WII. Therefore, the cost of WII premium increases due to the uncertainty of climate change impact that enhances the probability of losses related to insured weather risks. However, WII has emerged as a risk management tool of climate insurance for vulnerable agrarian communities. The efficacy of WII has been significantly influenced by repetitive environmental disasters and climate change phenomena.

Research limitations/implications

This study will be valuable for scholars to recognize the missing and emerging themes in WII.

Practical implications

This study will help the policy planners to understand the influence of climate change impact on WII viability.

Originality/value

This study is the original work of the author. An attempt has been made in the present study to systematically examine the viability of WII for insuring the climate change risk.

Details

Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4620

Keywords

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