Technology & Design
2014-2024 Bibliometric analysis
1 Purpose
The objective is the identification of top talent conducting research in the areas of Technology & Design. The selection criteria are based on scientific merit, publication, and citation records. Moreover, the corresponding authors of the most cited articles were pinpointed. Subsequently, a content analysis was conducted to identify articles centered on pertinent research topics.
2 Methodological Approach
An electronic search was conducted through the Web of Sciences (WoS) database to retrieve peer-reviewed studies published in the most important energy-related journals in Technology & Design from January 1, 2014, to April 24, 2024
The search also aimed to identify research on the following topics related to Technology & Design:
- Solar Thermal Processes and Concentrated Solar Power.
- Thermal Energy Storage Materials and Systems.
- Sustainable Fuels: Solar including Hydrogen, Biofuels.
- Clean Combustion and Carbon Utilization and Storage.
- Low- or no-carbon-trace combustion technologies.
- Air-Conditioning, Refrigeration, Radiative Cooling, and High-performance Buildings.
- Thermal Desalination and Water Treatment.
- Waste-to-Energy.
- Waste Heat Recovery.
- Electronics Thermal Management.
- Optimization of industrial processes and power plants.
- Multiphase Flows and Separation.
- Environmental Monitoring.
- Thermoelectric Energy Conversion.
- Heat Exchangers.
- Nanocomposites.
- Moving boundary Computational Fluid Dynamics.
- Phase Change Heat Transfer at Micro/Nano Scale.
- Evaporation and Melting in Porous Media
By combining these two parts, the search is refined to locate relevant articles that discuss a variety of technology and design topics within specific energy-related journals. This query helps to focus the search results on publications related to energy technology, design, and sustainability within specified reputable journals.
The search strategy was as follows:
TS=((Technolog OR Design) AND (“Solar Thermal Process” OR “Concentrat* Solar Power” OR “Solar Power” OR “Thermal Energy Storage” OR “Sustainable Energy” OR “Energy conversion” OR “Energy management” OR “applied energy” OR “Green hydrogen” OR “biofuel” OR “Sustainable Fuel” OR “Solar Fuel” OR “Clean Combustion” OR “Carbon Utilization”OR “Carbon Storage” OR “Low-carbon Combustion” OR “no-carbon-trace combustion” OR “Clean Production” OR “Air Conditioning” OR “Air-Conditioning” OR “Refrigeration” OR “Radiative Cooling” OR “High-performance Building” OR “Desalination” OR “Thermal Desalination” OR “Water Treatment” OR “Waste-to-Energy” OR “Waste Heat Recovery” OR “Electronics Thermal Management” OR “Industrial Process” OR ” Power Plant” OR “Environmental Monitoring” OR “Energy Conversion” OR “Heat Exchanger” OR “Nanocomposit” OR “Computational Fluid Dynamic*“OR” Heat Transfer” OR”Porous Media”)))
AND
SO=(“Applied Energy” OR “Energy Conversion and Management” OR “Solar Energy” OR “Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments” OR “Journal of Energy Storage” OR “Journal of Cleaner Production” OR “Journal of CO2 Utilization” OR”International Journal of Refrigeration” OR”Desalination” OR”International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer”))*
Initially, 19,142 articles were collected, consisting of research articles, reviews, and proceeding papers. Subsequently, the database underwent cleaning to eliminate potential duplicates and select research articles from prioritized countries, resulting in a refined selection of 9,724 articles.
3 Main Information
Table 2 illustrates the primary bibliometric indicators extracted from the academic database.
3.1 Annual scientific production
Figure 1 illustrates the annual scientific output of articles published in the key energy-related journals in Technology & Design from January 1, 2014, to April 24, 2024
5 Institutional-level
Institutional-level metrics provide insights into the research performance of individual institutions such as universities, research institutes, or organizations. These metrics help to evaluate the quantity and quality of research output, collaboration patterns, and impact within an institution.
5.1 Most relevant affiliations
Table 5 provides an overview of the top 20 institutions based on the number of publications, considering the affiliations of all co-authors for each paper.
6 Country-level
Country-level metrics provides an overview of research productivity across different countries.
6.1 Country Scientific Production
Figure 2 illustrates the academic productivity of the top 20 most productive countries based on authors’ affiliations.
6.2 Country Collaboration
An alternative analysis that takes into account the country dimension involves calculating the proportion of articles where at least one author is affiliated with a country different from that of the corresponding author. Figure 3 provides insight into the number of multi-country publications (MCP) and single-country publications (SCP). It showcases influential countries, with China standing out for its significant level of international collaboration.
7 Article-level
Article-level metrics focus on evaluating the impact and influence of individual research articles. These metrics help to assess the visibility, citation impact, and dissemination of specific publications. The top 20 most cited articles in the data base, and its DOI, corresponding author name, affiliation and e-mail are presented in Table 6.
| Table 6. Top 20 most cited articles | ||||
| Title | Publication Year | DOI | Corresponding author | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Membrane Distillation: Recent Developments And Perspectives | 2015 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2014.10.028 | Drioli, E (Corresponding Author), Univ Calabria, Itm Cnr, Natl Res Council, Via Pietro Bucci,Cubo 17c, I-87036 Arcavacata Di Rende, Cs, Italy | e.drioli@itm.cnr.it aame.ali@vscht.cz |
| Forward Osmosis: Where Are We Now? | 2015 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desa12014.10.031 | Elimelech, M (Corresponding Author), Yale Univ, Dept Chem \& Environm Engn, New Haven, Ct 06520 Usa | menachem.elimelech@yale.edu |
| Methanol Synthesis Using Captured Co<Sub>2</Sub> As Raw Material: Techno-Economic And Environmental Assessment | 2016 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.07.067 | Pérez-Fortes, M (Corresponding Author), European Commiss, Joint Res Ctr, Inst Energy \& Transport, Pob 2, Nl-1755 Zg Petten, Netherlands | maria-del-mar.perez-fortes@ec.europa.eu |
| Membrane-Based Seawater Desalination: Present And Future Prospects | 2017 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2016.10.002 | Amy, G (Corresponding Author), Clemson Univ, Coll Engn \& Sci, Clemson, Sc 29634 Usa | gamy@clemson.edu noreddine.ghaffour@kaust.edu.sa zhenyu.li@kaust.edu.sa lijo.francis@kaust.edu.sa rodrigo.valladares@kaust.edu.sa tmissimer@fgcu.edu sabine.lattemann@uni-oldenburg.de |
| Thermal Investigation Of Lithium-Ion Battery Module With Different Cell Arrangement Structures And Forced Air-Cooling Strategies | 2014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.08.013 | Zhao, Jy (Corresponding Author), Nanyang Technol Univ, Ctr E City, Sch Elect \& Elect Engn, Exquisitus, Singapore 639798, Singapore | jyzhao@ntu.edu.sg |
| Foreign Direct Investment-Co<Sub>2</Sub> Emissions Nexus In Middle East And North African Countries: Importance Of Biomass Energy Consumption | 2019 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.282 | Balsalobre-Lorente, D (Corresponding Author), Univ Castilla La Mancha, Dept Polit Econ \& Publ Finance, Econ \& Business Stat \& Econ Policy, Ciudad Real, Spain | muhdshahbaz77@gmail.com daniel.balsalobre@uclm.es f11aviks@iimidr.ac.in |
| Maximization Of Performance Of A Pcm Latent Heat Storage System With Innovative Fins | 2015 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.07.015 | Sciacovelli, A (Corresponding Author), Politecn Torino, Dept Energy Denerg, Turin, Italy | adriano.sciacovelli@polito.it |
| Forecasting Energy Consumption Of Multi-Family Residential Buildings Using Support Vector Regression: Investigating The Impact Of Temporal And Spatial Monitoring Granularity On Performance Accuracy | 2014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.02.057 | Jain, Rk (Corresponding Author), Nyu, Ctr Urban Sci \& Progress, 1 Metrotech Ctr,19th Floor, Brooklyn, Ny 11201 Usa | rishee.jain@nyu.edu kms2227@columbia.edu pjc2104@columbia.edu jet@vt.edu |
| Renewable Energy-Driven Desalination Technologies: A Comprehensive Review On Challenges And Potential Applications Of Integrated Systems | 2015 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2014.10.024 | Ghaffour, N (Corresponding Author), King Abdullah Univ Sci \& Technol, Wdrc, Thuwal 239556900, Saudi Arabia | noreddine.ghaffour@kaustedu.sa |
| Sustainability Assessment Of Energy Systems: Integrating Environmental, Economic And Social Aspects | 2014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2014.05.061 | Azapagic, A (Corresponding Author), Univ Manchester, Sch Chem Engn \& Analyt Sci, Room C16,Sackville St, Manchester M13 9pl, Lancs, England | adisa.azapagic@manchester.ac.uk |
| Use Of Monoethanolamine (Mea) For Co<Sub>2</Sub> Capture In A Global Scenario: Consequences And Alternatives | 2016 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2015.08.004 | Luis, P (Corresponding Author), Catholic Univ Louvain, Mat \& Proc Engn Immc Imap, Pl St Barbe 2, B-1348 Louvain La Neuve, Belgium | patricia.luis@uclouvain.be |
| Is A 100\% Renewable European Power System Feasible By 2050? | 2019 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.08.109 | Zappa, W (Corresponding Author), Univ Utrecht, Copernicus Inst Sustainable Dev, Princetonlaan 8a, Nl-3584 Cb Utrecht, Netherlands | w.g.zappa@uu.nl |
| Enzymatic Biodiesel: Challenges And Opportunities | 2014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.01.017 | Christopher, Lp (Corresponding Author), South Dakota Sch Mines \& Technol, 501 E St Joseph St, Rapid City, Sd 57701 Usa | lew.christopher@sdsmt.edu |
| Industrial Waste Heat Recovery Technologies: An Economic Analysis Of Heat Transformation Technologies | 2015 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.01.147 | Brückner, S (Corresponding Author), Zae Bayern, Walther Meissner Str 6, D-85748 Garching, Germany | sarah.brueckner@zae-bayern.de lcabeza@diei.udl.cat |
| Electrodialysis For Water Desalination: A Critical Assessment Of Recent Developments On Process Fundamentals, Models And Applications | 2018 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2017.12.044 | Gurreri, L (Corresponding Author), Univ Studi Palermo, Diid, Viale Sci Ed 6, I-90128 Palermo, Italy | luigi.guneri@unipa.it |
| Systematic Study Of Aqueous Monoethanolamine (Mea)-Based Co<Sub>2</Sub> Capture Process: Techno-Economic Assessment Of The Mea Process And Its Improvements | 2016 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2015.12.109 | Li, Kk (Corresponding Author), Csiro Energy, 10 Murray Dwyer Circuit, Mayfield West, Nsw 2304, Australia | kangkang.li@csiro.au |
| Infrared Thermography (Irt) Applications For Building Diagnostics: A Review | 2014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.08.005 | Fokaides, Pa (Corresponding Author), Frederick Univ, Sch Engn \& Appl Sci, 7 Frederickou Str, Cy-1036 Nicosia, Cyprus | eng.fp@frederick.ac.cy |
| The Sweet Spot Of Forward Osmosis: Treatment Of Produced Water, Drilling Wastewater, And Other Complex And Difficult Liquid Streams | 2014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2013.11.014 | Cath, Ty (Corresponding Author), Colorado Sch Mines, Golden, Co 80401 Usa | tcath@mines.edu |
| A Systems Approach To Reduce Urban Rail Energy Consumption | 2014 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2014.01.060 | González-Gil, A (Corresponding Author), Newcastle Univ, Newrail Ctr Railway Res, Sch Mech \& Syst Engn, Stephenson Bldg, Newcastle Upon Tyne Ne1 7ru, Tyne \& Wear, England | arturo.gonzalez@newcastle.ac.uk |
| The Impact Of Innovation And Technology Investments On Carbon Emissions In Selected Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development Countries | 2019 | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.01.235 | Ganda, F (Corresponding Author), Walter Sisulu Univ, Fac Management Sci, Dept Accounting, Butterworth Campus,Private Bag X3182, Za-4980 Butterworth, South Africa | fochi555@yahoo.com |
8 Content Analysis
Content analysis is the systematic categorization and examination of research publication content to reveal prevalent themes, patterns, trends, or relationships within the academic dataset. This method assists researchers in understanding the common subjects, methodologies, and contexts present in the literature, enabling the generation of valuable insights and knowledge within a specific research field.
8.1 Most frequent bigrams based on publishes abstracts
Bigrams are pairs of successive words that occur together in a text, and analyzing their frequency provides valuable insights into content relationships and patterns. The importance of bigram frequency analysis lies in its ability to capture more nuanced meaning and context compared to single word analysis. This allows researchers to identify specific phrases or terms that hold unique significance within a particular field of study.
Figure 4 displays the twenty most frequent bigrams identified in the abstracts within the database.
8.2 Topic Modelling
Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) is an unsupervised machine learning algorithm that effectively aids in identifying research topics from a corpus of information. In essence, LDA uncovers hidden topics from text data by probabilistically assigning words to topics and inferring the most likely topics based on word co-occurrences across documents. LDA assumes that each document is a mixture of various topics and that each word within the document is attributable to one of these topics. It then iterates through each word in each document and tries to assign it to a particular topic based on the probability distribution of topics in the document and the probability distribution of words in the topics. Through multiple iterations, LDA refines these topic assignments to find the most likely topics for each word and document.
Abstracts of retrieved articles are analyzed to unveil underlying themes, enabling the search for specific topics and keywords in our database, along with exploring the publications and their authors. Figure 5 showcases the ten topics identified through the LDA analysis, with topic labels generated using the OpenAI gpt-3.5-turbo Model.
8.3 Semantic Context
The analysis of the semantic context of words and phrases involves examining the surrounding text elements both before and after the target words or phrases of interest. This analysis aims to uncover the relationships and associations between the chosen terms and their contextual environment within the text. By identifying this context, it´s possible to gain insights into how the terms are understood across different contexts. This analysis utilized relevant keywords and information from the bigrams and LDA analysis.