Lappeenranta University of Technology
School of Energy Systems
In this paper, the theoretical terms of contemporary cosmology are examined as intellectual artefacts. An ontology and methodology are introduced for this purpose, which includes defining the concept of a hypothetical object. Introducing... more
In this paper, the theoretical terms of contemporary cosmology are examined as intellectual artefacts. An ontology and methodology are introduced for this purpose, which includes defining the concept of a hypothetical object. Introducing a hypothetical object is contrasted with the modification of physical laws as alternative ways of explaining the discrepancy between observations and theoretical predictions. Historical examples of theory choice, which involved these alternatives, are discussed. This is followed by a study of theory choice in contemporary cosmology. In particular, the focus is on the case of dark matter and modified gravity as alternative explanations for observed mass discrepancies in galaxies and galaxy clusters. These alternatives are analyzed, and their similarities and differences to the historical examples are pointed out.
The main goal of this work is to present a logical-methodological analysis of theoretical terms and theoretical objects of modern astrophysics, i.e. accomplish the following tasks: - describe the logico-methodological scheme of Е. К.... more
The main goal of this work is to present a logical-methodological analysis of theoretical terms and theoretical objects of modern astrophysics, i.e. accomplish the following tasks:
- describe the logico-methodological scheme of Е. К. Voishvillo and the work of others in general philosophy of science in the 20th century, which has arguments related to the status of theoretical terms, and an explanation of how these arguments are related to the ideas of Voishvillo,
- apply the classification of theoretical terms and theoretical objects to contemporary astrophysics,
- to consider the theoretical objects of contemporary astrophysics on the basis of Voishvillo’s classification,
- explore alternatives to the standard cosmological model,
- apply Voishvillo’s method to the analysis of successive theories to the theories of astrophysics, an alternative to the accepted paradigm,
- to apply the concept of “truthlikeness” (approaching the truth) of Ilkka Niiniluoto to the theories of contemporary astrophysics.
- describe the logico-methodological scheme of Е. К. Voishvillo and the work of others in general philosophy of science in the 20th century, which has arguments related to the status of theoretical terms, and an explanation of how these arguments are related to the ideas of Voishvillo,
- apply the classification of theoretical terms and theoretical objects to contemporary astrophysics,
- to consider the theoretical objects of contemporary astrophysics on the basis of Voishvillo’s classification,
- explore alternatives to the standard cosmological model,
- apply Voishvillo’s method to the analysis of successive theories to the theories of astrophysics, an alternative to the accepted paradigm,
- to apply the concept of “truthlikeness” (approaching the truth) of Ilkka Niiniluoto to the theories of contemporary astrophysics.
In this chapter I will discuss Karl Popper’s notion of metaphysical research programmes (MRPs) and apply it to contemporary cosmology. While Popper was extremely critical of Big Bang cosmology, his work on MRPs provides a potentially... more
In this chapter I will discuss Karl Popper’s notion of metaphysical research programmes (MRPs) and apply it to contemporary cosmology. While Popper was extremely critical of Big Bang cosmology, his work on MRPs provides a potentially fruitful way of understanding the discipline in a different light. I will suggest that while cosmology does fail to meet the criteria Popper sets for a mature science, the standard model of cosmology (also known as ΛCDM) could be seen as an example of a MRP. I will examine the Cosmological Principle as well as the dark matter hypothesis as prospective parts of this MRP. Finally, I will go beyond Popper’s own views and evaluate ΛCDM and its main rival, Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND), with the help of two methodological tools: the correspondence principle as formally explicated by E. K. Voishvillo, and Ilkka Niiniluoto’s measures of truthlikeness. The conclusion I will draw from this is that MOND is a viable and in some respects superior alternative to ΛCDM.
Please do not cite this draft but the only the published version, available at: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-67036-8_6
Please do not cite this draft but the only the published version, available at: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-67036-8_6
Contemporary cosmology contains a set of theoretical objects that may be considered intellectual constructs in one sense or another. The aim of this paper is to examine them as intellectual artefacts and to provide a motivation for this... more
Contemporary cosmology contains a set of theoretical objects that may be considered intellectual constructs in one sense or another. The aim of this paper is to examine them as intellectual artefacts and to provide a motivation for this examination that stems from debates internal to the field of physical cosmology. Examining theoretical terms as intellectual artefacts requires fitting them into a conceptual scheme that features such a class of objects. An influential example of such a scheme is Karl Popper’s three world ontology, which builds on his scientific realism. World 1 is the mind-independent world studied by the natural sciences, whereas World 2 is the realm of subjective mental phenomena, which somehow emerges from World 1 but is not reducible to it. World 2 then produces World 3, where intellectual artefacts, such as scientific theories, are to be found. In contrast to the private and subjective World 2, the objects of World 3 have a public, “autonomous” existence apart ...
In this paper, the theoretical terms of contemporary cosmology are examined as intellectual artefacts. An ontology and methodology are introduced for this purpose, which includes defining the concept of a hypothetical object. Introducing... more
In this paper, the theoretical terms of contemporary cosmology are examined as intellectual artefacts. An ontology and methodology are introduced for this purpose, which includes defining the concept of a hypothetical object. Introducing a hypothetical object is contrasted with the modification of physical laws as alternative ways of explaining the discrepancy between observations and theoretical predictions. Historical examples of theory choice, which involved these alternatives, are discussed. This is followed by a study of theory choice in contemporary cosmology. In particular, the focus is on the case of dark matter and modified gravity as alternative explanations for observed mass discrepancies in galaxies and galaxy clusters. These alternatives are analyzed, and their similarities and differences to the historical examples are pointed out.
The recoverable proven reserves of fossil fuel sources are projected to be exhausted by the end of this century. In response to the exhaustion of fossil resources, there is a serious need to find alternative fuel sources. Bioenergy is one... more
The recoverable proven reserves of fossil fuel sources are projected to be exhausted by the end of this century. In response to the exhaustion of fossil resources, there is a
serious need to find alternative fuel sources. Bioenergy is one of the potential candidates to counteract the fossil-fuel depletion challenge. Despite bioenergy sources appear to be renewable and net-zero GHG emitting, bioenergy undergoes competition with food, feed and other crucial applications. Since earth’s ecosystem has a limited capacity of land and water resources,overuse of these resources in bioenergy production could cause adverse social and environmental impacts. This paper summarizes the key sustainability issues involve in bioenergy chain, and examine the potential role of bioenergy in dealing with these sustainability issues. We found that bioenergy can be a sustainable source of energy provided that it has maintained irrationality is using of natural resources and several limits. In contrary, bioenergy would provoke further social and environmental problems if the sustainability issues are not given proper consideration.
serious need to find alternative fuel sources. Bioenergy is one of the potential candidates to counteract the fossil-fuel depletion challenge. Despite bioenergy sources appear to be renewable and net-zero GHG emitting, bioenergy undergoes competition with food, feed and other crucial applications. Since earth’s ecosystem has a limited capacity of land and water resources,overuse of these resources in bioenergy production could cause adverse social and environmental impacts. This paper summarizes the key sustainability issues involve in bioenergy chain, and examine the potential role of bioenergy in dealing with these sustainability issues. We found that bioenergy can be a sustainable source of energy provided that it has maintained irrationality is using of natural resources and several limits. In contrary, bioenergy would provoke further social and environmental problems if the sustainability issues are not given proper consideration.
Rural electrification (RE) can be modelled as a multifactorial task connected to a large number of variables: decision makers need to choose the appropriate options by considering not only the techno-economic competitiveness but also... more
Rural electrification (RE) can be modelled as a multifactorial task connected to a large number of variables: decision makers need to choose the appropriate options by considering not only the techno-economic competitiveness but also socio-cultural dynamics and environmental consequences, making the task intricate. Many rural electrification projects have failed due to lack of attention to the issues beyond financial and technical dimensions. This paper presents a standardized approach for decision making concerning the extension of electricity services to rural areas. This approach first determines whether the supply provision should be grid expansion or off-grid on the basis of levelized cost of delivered electricity. If the grid expansion is found nonviable over off-grid options then a multicriteria decision aiding tool, SMAA-2 (Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis), will evaluate off-grid technologies by aggregating 24 criteria values. While applying this approach, the delivered costs of electricity by the grid in remote areas within the 1-25 km distances vary in a range of 0.10-7.85 US$/kWh depending on the line lengths and load conditions. In the off-grid evaluation, the solar PV 2 (Photovoltaic) and biogas plants are found as the most preferable alternatives with 59% and 41% acceptability in their first rank, respectively.
- by Risto Lahdelma and +1
- •
- Energy Policy, Multidisciplinary
Rural electrification is essential for bringing about social and economic developments, but the progress is distressingly slow in most developing countries. The Bangladesh Rural Electrification Program (BREP) has been highlighted as a... more
Rural electrification is essential for bringing about social and economic developments, but the progress is distressingly slow in most developing countries. The Bangladesh Rural Electrification Program (BREP) has been highlighted as a positive case among developing countries, but from 2006 onwards there have been doubts about the program's chances of success. In this paper, we examine the rural electrification practices in Bangladesh and evaluate the claim that, whereas they were successful up to 2005, they then began to decline in terms of their performance. This study determines the factors behind the initial success of the program as well as those that account for the recent downturn in BREP. We found that the BREP was a clear success in terms of its growth and progress; however, its performance has been declining since 2006. The key driving factors for the success of this program had to do with prioritizing system investment, community involvement, anti-corruption features, standardized practices and performance-based incentives while excluding political parties. The major issues accounting for the decline were the lack of organizational autonomy, a shortage of funding, unrealistic tariffs, 2 and power supply shortages. Renewable-based, off-grid technologies have been successfully supplementing the on-grid program in remote areas.
- by Risto Lahdelma and +1
- •
- Energy Policy, Multidisciplinary
The absence of clean cooking facilities and electricity means billions of rural people are deprived of much needed socioeconomic development. Livestock residues (dung) and solar radiation are two renewable energy resources that are... more
The absence of clean cooking facilities and electricity means billions of rural people are deprived of much needed socioeconomic development. Livestock residues (dung) and solar radiation are two renewable energy resources that are abundantly available in rural areas of developing countries. Although it is not feasible for these two resources separately to meet both thermal (cooking) and electricity demands, hybrid applications have not been given due attention. To facilitate integrating these two resources in rural energy planning, and to promote their dissemination through hybrid applications, it is necessary to evaluate their economic merits, and assess their ability to deal with the demands. In this paper, we examine the techno-economic performance of hybrid applications of these two resources by applying a simulation technique using the HOMER tool, and by giving derived cost-saving equations. We also quantify the monetary savings from replacing traditional fuels, and perform a sensitivity analysis on a number of variables (e.g. dung cost, fuelwood cost) to see how they affect the performance of different energy supply alternatives. Furthermore, we examine the practical applicability of the biogas system in the households through a structured survey of 72 ongoing household biogas plants. This study finds that households that have between three and six cattle can potentially meet their cooking and electricity loads through a hybrid implementation of biogas and solar PV (Photovoltaic) system. By replacing conventional fuels households can achieve savings that are more than the total annualized costs incurred for installing new services. (Md. M. Rahman). 1 'Modern forms of energy services' is defined by a joint IEA/UNDP publication [1] as electricity and clean cooking facilities (e.g. efficient cooking stoves based on liquid or gaseous fuel). Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.Please cite this article in press as: Rahman MdM, et al., Hybrid application of biogas and solar resources to fulfill household energy needs: A potentially viable option in rural areas of developing countries, Renewable Energy (2014), http://dx.
The adverse environmental consequences and diminishing trend of fossil fuel reserves indicate a serious need for vibrant and judicious energy policy. Energy policy involves a number of stakeholders, and needs to incorporate the interests... more
The adverse environmental consequences and diminishing trend of fossil fuel reserves indicate a serious
need for vibrant and judicious energy policy. Energy policy involves a number of stakeholders, and needs
to incorporate the interests and requirements of all the key stakeholder groups. This paper presents a
methodological technique to assist with formulating, evaluating, and promoting the energy policy of a
country in a transparent and representative way with clear scientific justifications and balanced assessments.
The multicriteria decision analysis approach has been a widely used technique for evaluating different
alternatives based on the interests of a multitude of stakeholders, and goals. This paper utilizes the
SMAA (Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis) tool, which can evaluate different alternatives by
incorporating multiple criteria, in order to examine the preferences of different policy elements. We further
extend this technique by incorporating the LEAP model (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning
system) to assess the emission impacts of different policy elements. We demonstrate the application
of this evaluation technique by an analysis of four hypothetical policy elements namely Business-as usual
(BAU), Renewables (REN), Renewable-biomass only (REN-b), and Energy conservation and efficient technologies
(ECET). These are applied to the case of sharing fuel sources for power generation for the
Bangladesh power sector. We found that the REN-b and REN policy elements were the best and second
best alternatives with 41% and 32% acceptability respectively. This technique gives transparent information
for choosing appropriate policy elements that aimed at sustainable energy.
need for vibrant and judicious energy policy. Energy policy involves a number of stakeholders, and needs
to incorporate the interests and requirements of all the key stakeholder groups. This paper presents a
methodological technique to assist with formulating, evaluating, and promoting the energy policy of a
country in a transparent and representative way with clear scientific justifications and balanced assessments.
The multicriteria decision analysis approach has been a widely used technique for evaluating different
alternatives based on the interests of a multitude of stakeholders, and goals. This paper utilizes the
SMAA (Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis) tool, which can evaluate different alternatives by
incorporating multiple criteria, in order to examine the preferences of different policy elements. We further
extend this technique by incorporating the LEAP model (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning
system) to assess the emission impacts of different policy elements. We demonstrate the application
of this evaluation technique by an analysis of four hypothetical policy elements namely Business-as usual
(BAU), Renewables (REN), Renewable-biomass only (REN-b), and Energy conservation and efficient technologies
(ECET). These are applied to the case of sharing fuel sources for power generation for the
Bangladesh power sector. We found that the REN-b and REN policy elements were the best and second
best alternatives with 41% and 32% acceptability respectively. This technique gives transparent information
for choosing appropriate policy elements that aimed at sustainable energy.