In recent years, a need for product traceability in the cold supply chain has emerged. The purpose of this study was to identify and map out different kinds of identification technologies and techniques used for cold supply chain traceability. This was done by looking into what traceability solutions are available right now through literature review. The results from this review were then further analyzed to obtain a basis for the current state of knowledge, technical solutions and to identify possible traceability structures in the cold chain. A decision support framework was constructed for choosing a suitable technical solution. It consists of a table listing different functions and attributes of technologies and a decision-tree. The decision support framework created from this work will help the user to identify what kind of traceability technology and structure best suits his products. This is important, as it can often be difficult for the user to decide which technology is most beneficial for his company. That is why this decision support framework will enable him to decide what is technologically feasible, practical, economical, can sustain reputation, quality and safety of the products. Finally, I would like to thank Smart-Fish for the financial support that enabled me to visit Oulu University of Applied Science. I would also like to thank the hardworking scientists who took time out of their work to educate me on their research.

Abstract:In engineering design, knowing the relationship between the means (technique) and the end (desired function or outcome) is essential. The means in Aquaculture are technical solutions like airlifts that are used to achive desired functionality (an end) like controlling dissolved gasses. In previous work, the authors identified possible functions by viewing aquaculture production systems as transformation processes in which inputs are transformed by treatment techniques (means) and produce outputs (ends). The current work creates an overview of technical solutions of treatment functions for both design and research purposes. A comprehensive literature review of all areas of technical solutions is identified and categorized into a visual taxonomy of the treatment functions for controlling solids, controlling dissolved gasses and controlling pH alkalinity and hardness. This article is the second in a sequence of four and partly presents the treatments functions in the taxonomy. The other articles in this series present complementary aspects of this research: Part 1, A transformational view on aquaculture and functions divided into input, treatment and output functions; Part 2, The current taxonomy paper; Part 3, The second part of the taxonomy; and Part 4, Mapping of the means (techniques) for multiple treatment functions.

Abstract:The aquaculture sector has been increasing its share in the total fish production in the world. Numerous studies have been published about aquaculture, introducing a variety of techniques and methods that have been applied or could be applied in aquaculture production systems. The purpose of this study is to present a systemic overview of the functions of aquaculture production systems. Each function of an aquaculture system is applied to carry out a certain purpose. The results are divided into three sets of functions: input, treatment, and output. Input functions deal with what happens before the rearing area, treatment functions are about what happens inside the rearing area, and output functions is what comes out of the system. In this study, five input functions, ten treatment functions, and five output functions are indentified. For each function the controlling parameters or indicators were identified and then a list of possible methods or technological solutions in order to carry out the function was compiled. The results are presented in a system map that aggregates all functions used in different types of aquaculture systems along with their methods of solution. This is the first of four articles that together generate taxonomy of both means and ends in aquaculture. The aim is to identify both the technical solutions (means) that solve different functions (ends) and the corresponding functions. This article is about the functions.

This is the third part of the taxonomy of technical solutions and treatment functions in aquaculture. This article builds on the premiss that the aquaculture production system can be viewed as a transformation process with three sets of functions, input, treatment and output. This work creates an overview of all of the technical solutions of treatment functions for the purpose of both design and further research. This is done with a comprehensive literature review where all technical solutions are identified and then categorized into a taxonomy. The result is a visual taxonomy of the treatment functions controlling N compounds, organic matter, P compounds, metals, temperature and preventing disease. A total taxonomy is finally presented where the results from Part 2 and Part 3 (this part) have been combined.

Wind energy harnessing is a new energy production alternative in Iceland. Current installed wind power in Iceland sums to 1.8 MW, which in contrast is 0.1% of the country's total electricity production. This article is dedicated to the exploration of the potential cost of wind energy production at Búrfell in the south of Iceland. A levelized cost of energy (LCOE) approach was applied to the estimation of the potential cost. Weibull simulation is used to simulate wind data for calculations. A confirmation of the power law is done by comparing real data to calculated values. A modified Weibull simulation is verified by comparing results with actual on-site test wind turbines. A wind farm of 99 MW is suggested for the site. Key results were the capacity factor (CF) at Búrfell being 38.15% on average and that the LCOE for wind energy was estimated as 0.087-0.088 USD/kWh (assuming 10% weighted average cost of capital (WACC)), which classifies Búrfell among the lowest LCOE sites for wind energy in Europe.

Abstract:A novel Monte Carlo (MC) approach is proposed for the simulation of wind speed samples to assess the wind energy production potential of a site. The Monte Carlo approach is based on historical wind speed data and reserves the effect of autocorrelation and seasonality in wind speed observations. No distributional assumptions are made, and this approach is relatively simple in comparison to simulation methods that aim at including the autocorrelation and seasonal effects. Annual energy production (AEP) is simulated by transforming the simulated wind speed values via the power curve of the wind turbine at the site. The proposed Monte Carlo approach is generic and is applicable for all sites provided that a sufficient amount of wind speed data and information on the power curve are available. The simulated AEP values based on the Monte Carlo approach are compared to both actual AEP and to simulated AEP values based on a modified Weibull approach for wind speed simulation using data from the Burfell site in Iceland. The comparison reveals that the simulated AEP values based on the proposed Monte Carlo approach have a distribution that is in close agreement with actual AEP from two test wind turbines at the Burfell site, while the simulated AEP of the Weibull approach is such that the P50 and the scale are substantially lower and the P90 is higher. Thus, the Weibull approach yields AEP that is not in line with the actual variability in AEP, while the Monte Carlo approach gives a realistic estimate of the distribution of AEP.

Fairness issues within food systems are of increasing concern for policy makers and other stakeholders. Given the topicality and policy relevance of fairness within food systems, there is value in exploring the subject further. Simulation modelling has been successfully used to develop and test policy interventions. However, the subjectivity and intangibleness of fairness perceptions make them difficult to operationalize in a quantitative model. The objective of this study is to facilitate research on fairness in food systems using simulation modelling by defining the social construct of fairness in model operational terms. The operationalization is conducted in two steps. First, the construct of fairness is conceptually defined in terms of its dimensions, antecedents, and consequences using the literature on interorganizational fairness. Then, by focusing specifically on fairness issues within food systems, the conceptual definition is used as a basis for the identification of proxy indicators of fairness. Seven groups of factors related to fairness perceptions were identified during the conceptualization phase: financial outcomes, operational outcomes, power, environmental stability, information sharing, relationship quality, and controls. From these factor groups, five indicators of fairness that are operational in a quantitative model were identified: profit margin as an indicator of distributive fairness and four indicators of procedural fairness related to market power and bargaining power.

Aquaculture intensity has been used for years as a means to gauge how much production a site makes using three terms: extensive, semi-intensive and intensive aquaculture production systems. The industry has a relatively coordinated understanding of these terms, but an explicit general definition does not seem to exist. This paper aims to use three kinds of production function groups; the input, treatment and output functions to describe and define the terms extensive, semi-intensive and intensive explicitly. This is done with extensive literature review to find the meaning of the terms. The terms are then mapped onto the three production function groups. The resulting framework accomplishes two things. Firstly, it defines extensive, semi-intensive and intensive aquaculture in terms of production functions. Secondly, it creates an eight level scale, the aquaculture production intensity scale (APIS), that provides three levels of extensive systems, two level of semi-intensive systems and three level of intensive systems. APIS allows mapping of all uses of the terms in current literature to an APIS score, though some results might differ from current usage.