Fuzzy automated targeting for trade‐off analysis in batch water networks

Water minimization in the process industry is becoming increasingly important due to increasingly stringent environmental legislation, especially for batch plants. This work proposes a dynamic programming (DP) method for the optimal design of water-using networks in batch plants. DP is a powerful framework for dealing with a large spectrum of multistage decision-making problems and has been applied in numerous chemical engineering problems. The proposed methodology is explained as follows. Firstly, based on the start time and end time of each operation, the whole process is divided into N stages. Secondly, the water requirement of water-using units in each stage is satisfied and the state of stored water and wastewater generation is determined. The backward procedure of DP is used to solve the DP problems. The target of freshwater consumption of the process and the optimal design of the water network are obtained simultaneously. In order to display the versatility of the proposed approach, four examples from literature are considered. Example 1 is a completely batch process with a fixed flowrate problem. Example 2 is a hybrid batch water system comprising various modes of operations and operating patterns. Example 3 is a fixed-mass load problem with a regeneration unit, while example 4 considers the batch water network design with multiple contaminants. The results obtained in this work were comparable with the results from literature, implying that it can be applicable to both mass transfer-based and non-mass transfer-based batch water networks.

Pollution burdens associated with load/assemble/pack of an ap based MK-66 PIP motor by continuous and batch processing

Impact of batch, repeated-batch (with cell recycle and medium replacement) and continuous processes on the course and efficiency of aerobic thermophilic biodegradation of potato processing wastewater

In this chapter, we will examine requirements determination and analysis that may be useful for defining the nonfunctional and domain requirements for an IDCM solution, including system sizing, architecture, and performance requirements. We also include a discussion on domain requirements, such as those for information technology and system administration. Our objectives are to do the following: • Document the requirements for system sizing and mass storage. • Consider the types of requirements analysis that enterprises apply to help suppliers of IDCM solutions offer an architecture solution that may meet enterprise requirements. • Define system performance requirements with known caveats and assumptions. • Define the requirements for the IDCM system to integrate with enterprise desktop, server, and network operating environments. • Define the requirements for the system development environment. • Document the system administration requirements for the system.

The chemistry of making azo pigments consists in mixing two ionic solutions to precipitate the insoluble pigment. In batch processes the diazonium ion is slowly added to the total quantity of coupling component needed and the factors influencing the particle size distribution, and hence the colour strength, have been previously investigated. The kinetics of nucleation and growth in batch and continuous processes are discussed and it is argued that continuous processes offer a method of increasing the colour strength of the pigment by raising the proportion of particles below 0.5 μ in size.

Granulation development in batch-to-batch and continuous processes from a quality by design perspective

In the past one and a half decades, resource conservation network (RCN) synthesis has been well accepted by both academics and industrial practitioners in enhancing sustainability aspect for the process industry. Various insight-based pinch analysis and mathematical optimisation techniques have been proposed to synthesise optimum RCN. For the former, the developments to date have been focusing on various targeting and design tools, with very little emphasis on the systematic assessment of process changes. The latter involves the modification of process operating conditions (e.g., flowrate, concentration, temperature, etc.), which leads to further reduction of minimum fresh resource flowrates. In this study, the plus-minus principle in heat exchanger network synthesis is extended for use with graphical targeting tool in assessing opportunities for process changes in the RCN of fixed-flowrate problems, aiming to further reduce its minimum fresh resource flowrate. Literature examples are used for illustration.

Recent advances in peer to peer (P2P) search algorithms have presented viable structured and unstructured approaches for full-text search. We posit that these existing approaches are each best suited for different types of queries. We present PHIRST, the first system to facilitate effective full-text search within P2P networks. PHIRST works by effectively leveraging between the relative strengths of these approaches. Similar to structured approaches, agents first publish terms within their stored documents. However, frequent terms are quickly identified and not exhaustively stored, resulting in a significantly reduction in the system's storage requirements. During query lookup, agents use unstructured searches to compensate for the lack of fully published terms. Additionally, they explicitly weigh between the costs involved with structured and unstructured approaches, allowing for a significant reduction in query costs. We evaluated the effectiveness of our approach using both real-world and artificial queries. We found that in most situations our approach yields near perfect recall. We discuss the limitations of our system, as well as possible compensatory strategies.

Targeting the maximum heat recovery for systems with heat losses and heat gains

Territorial ecological restoration (TER) is a critical step for promoting the development of an ecological civilization, as well as a significant strategic task relating to national ecological security and the well-being of a population. However, calculating the ecological restoration potential (ERP) is a key challenge in TER. Using Zhaoping County as an example, this study calculated the ecological restoration natural potential (ERNP), including the vegetation coverage potential, water conservation potential, windbreak and sand fixation potential, and biodiversity potential, and proposed an ERP calculation method based on the correction of ERNP with an ecological security pattern (ESP) and social support (SS). The findings revealed several key points. First, using the similarity habitat method to calculate ERNP highlighted significant disparities in the vegetation coverage, water conservation, windbreak and sand fixation, and biodiversity across Zhaoping County. These variations were contrary to regional ecological service functions. Second, overall, the ESP levels in Zhaoping County were high, accounting for about 60.42% of its total area being classified as high or relatively high level, with the towns exhibiting strong SS abilities primarily located in the northern region. Third, the ERP results which are between 0 and 1 indicated that areas with higher potential were mainly found in the west and northeast of Zhaoping, while lower potential areas were concentrated in the northwest and south; of them, the ERP index value in most regions is between 0.2 and 0.3, accounting for about 43.97% of the area. Finally, suggestions for the TER project layout and measures to enhance the ERP were proposed based on these ERP calculations. This study offers new insights into ERP strategies while providing guidance for identifying critical areas requiring restoration.

Water consumption and conservation assessment of the coal power industry in China

A novel strategy has been established, in the laboratory scale, for the generation of the popular thermosetting resin phenol formaldehyde (PF; resole), through a continuous process using a tubular reactor, which is usually developed in the commercial scale through a batch process. A refractive index technique is employed to evaluate the optimum residence time within the tubular reactor to obtain a commercial grade equivalent of PF resin. The unreacted free formaldehyde level has been found to be very low in the resole resin prepared by using the new route. The initial characterization of the resin has been done through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. The cure characteristics of the resin have been analyzed through differential scanning calorimetry. The degradation features of the cured resole are investigated using a thermo gravimetric analyzer and the fractured surfaces are analyzed through scanning electron microscopy. It has been confirmed that the adverse effects of a batch reactor process can be significantly reduced by adopting a continuous resin manufacturing process for PF resin which can be successfully extended to commercialization after optimization.

Compact and efficient continuous mixing processes for production of food and pharmaceutical powders

Sludge exchange process on two serial CSTRs anaerobic digestions: Process failure and recovery

Batch processes are relevant to a wide variety of industries in chemical processes. In batch operations, water sources are almost not directly reused/recycled in process sinks without considering time constraints and storage tanks. However, storage tanks are usually expensive and thus a cost-effective water system has to be synthesized. Rescheduling the water network can contribute to reducing the cost of storage tanks by reducing their number and capacity. In the current research work, a goal programming is used to reschedule the water network in batch processes considering the time and storage tanks. A Mixed Integer Non-Linear Program model is introduced using the Lingo optimization program. This model is used to optimize multiple objectives, which are freshwater usage, wastewater discharge, the number and capacity of tanks, the degree of shifting streams, and the total cost of the water network. Three case studies are presented in this study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed procedure, considering both single and multi-contaminants problems. The results of the first case study show a reduction in the network cost and the freshwater flowrate by 26.4% and 42%, respectively. Regarding the rescheduled water network results of the second case study, the cost is reduced by 24.6% and the freshwater flowrate is decreased by 21.8% with no requirement of storage tanks. The third case study highlights the model’s applicability to multi-contaminants problem, revealing a 15.1% cost reduction and a 25.7% decrease in freshwater flow.