Simultaneous re-design and scheduling of multiple effect evaporator systems

Present agricultural practices confront issues such as mismatches between tractors and implements, imprecise machinery allocation, and excessive machinery investment. Optimization of agricultural machinery systems was a potent remedy for these concerns. To address inaccuracies in calculating objective functions and the incompleteness of constraints in existing models for agricultural machinery system optimization, a comprehensive mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINP) model for agricultural machinery system optimization was established. The model introduced timeliness loss costs for multiple key operations across various crops into the objective function, and constraints were enhanced by including operation sequence constraints and boundary constraints on initiation and completion dates of those key operations. Taking corn and soybeans as examples, timeliness loss functions of sowing and harvesting operations were derived through experiments. Solving the MINP model by Lingo (V.14.0) software, improvements in total power, workload per unit power, and total operational costs were shown when comparing the optimized machinery system through the MINP model against current systems. When the model omitted considerations for timeliness loss functions and operation sequence constraints, issues arose including an increase in total operational costs and an inversion of operation sequence. The model’s application in devising machinery allocation plans for production units of various operational scales revealed a gradual decrease in total power and costs per unit area with expanding scale, approaching stability when scale exceeded 1600 hm2. This study enriches theory and methodology for optimizing agricultural machinery systems, provides theoretical and technological underpinnings for rational machinery acquisition, and promotes the high-quality progression of comprehensive agricultural mechanization.

Optimization of bleed streams in evaporation systems based on pinch analysis: new approach

Monitoring and assessment of an industrial antifouling treatment. Seasonal effects and influence of water velocity in an open once-through seawater cooling system

Due to the application of coil-shaped coils in a compressed gas flow exchanger and water pipe flow in airconditioner devices, air conditioning and refrigeration systems, both industrial and domestic, need to be optimized to improve exchange capacity of heat exchangers by reducing the pressure drop. Today, due to the reduction of fossil fuel resources and the importance of optimal use of resources, optimization of thermal, mechanical and electrical devices has gained particular importance. Compressed heat exchangers are the devices used in industries, especially oil and petrochemical ones, as well as in power plants. So, in this paper we try to optimize compressed heat exchangers. Variables of the functions or state-of-the-machine parameters are optimized in compressed heat exchangers to achieve maximum thermal efficiency. To do this, it is necessary to provide equations and functions of the compressed heat exchanger relative to the functional variables and then to formulate the parameter for the gas pressure drop of the gas flow through the blades and the heat exchange surface in relation to the heat duty. The heat transfer rate to the gas-side pressure drop is maximized by solving the binary equation system in the genetic algorithm. The results show that using optimization, the heat capacity and the efficiency of the heat exchanger improved by <i>15</i>% and the pressure drop along the path significantly decreases.

In this work, a new multi-objective mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model based on Pinch Technology principles is presented. The proposed framework is able to simultaneously maximize the heat recovery, minimize the total heat exchange surface while guaranteeing the heat transfer feasibility. The formulation adopted for the heat integration problem significantly reduces the number of binary variables when dealing with variable temperatures and flowrates, thus enhancing the solution efficiency. The model is then augmented with the introduction of a novel approach for the total area estimation not requiring heavy disjunctions nor complex tailor-made algorithms. A study on the optimization of an air separation unit (ASU) is finally performed to show the potential and effectiveness of the proposed framework.

Simulation of heat integrated multiple effect evaporator system

Multiple gradient effects on spatial distribution of island soil microbial biomass

Effect of silica dioxide particles on the evolution of biofouling by Bacillus subtilis in plate heat exchangers relevant to a heat pump system used with treated sewage

THE first meeting of the session of the Newcomen Society was held on October 8. Two papers were read, the first by Messrs. N. Deerr and A. Brooks dealing with the “Development of Evaporation in the Sugar Industry”, and the second by Mr. S. Withington on “Automobiles in 1830”. There were three phases in the progress of the practice of evaporation, it was said, the first reaching back to the time when evaporation was conducted over a direct flame, the second phase being marked by the use of steam–heated appliances and the boiling of syrup under reduced pressure, while from this was developed the present practice of multiple–effect evaporation in a series of vessels. The review of Messrs. Deerr and Brooks ranged all over the world, and reference was made to many inventors, manufacturers and plants. One outstanding event was the patenting in 1813 by the Hon. Edward Charles Howard (1774–1816), a cadet of the ducal House of Norfolk, of the vacuum pan, a master patent appearing complete and successful in operation in its first trial. The fiist crude idea of multiple–effect evaporation was to be found in a patent of 1826. One of the chief improvers of the practice was Norbert Rillieux, who was born at New Orleans in 1806 and died in Paris in 1894. In 1934 persons connected with the sugar industry all over the world placed a tablet to Rillieux in the State Museum in New Orleans. Multiple–effect evaporation is to–day used not only in the sugar industry but also in others in which large quantities of liquids are dealt with.

A steady-state one-dimensional thermal model for clamshell heat exchangers in residential gas furnaces is presented. The model permits variations in heat exchanger geometry, operating conditions, and the flow patterns inside the furnace cabinet within the constraints of the assumption of one-dimensional flow. The outputs of the model are total pressure drop of the flue-gas, axial temperature distribution of the flue-gas, and temperature distribution on the heat exchanger surface. The accuracy of the model is assessed by comparing computed results with experimental data. The flue-gas exit temperature is predicted within 50 K and the furnace efficiency is predicted within 2% of the data. The applications of the model are demonstrated through parametric studies. It is found that the furnace efficiency increases when the firing rate or the excess air ratio decreases. Studies of the magnitude of different modes of heat transfer show that the largest heat transfer resistance arises from flue-side convection. Therefore, it appears that efforts to enhance the overall heat transfer should focus on enhancing this mode.

In Chap. 4, a novel mathematical approach to the simultaneous production planning and scheduling of continuous parallel units producing a large number of final products that can be classified into product families is developed. This problem appears in many stages of operation in the process industries, including packing in batch and continuous production facilities. Thus, it is quite important since it arises in a number of different production environments (e.g., food and beverage industry, consumer packed goods). The proposed approach has been used to solve a complex real-world problem in the continuous bottling stage of the Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma beer production facility, located in Mexico.

The present paper highlights some of the critical unit operations in the sugar industry where advanced electronics techniques implemented on microprocessor based systems may be used for better performance and yield. These unit operations include cane field & cane yards, milling, juice clarification process, evaporation process, sugar crystallization process in vacuum pans, temperature data acquisition & control at juice heaters, desuper-heaters, evaporators etc. The paper also highlights the microprocessor based systems designed and developed at CEERI, Pilani for the above critical unit operations which has helped in achieving higher productivity, energy conservation and minimization of sugar losses etc. The paper also touches upon the role of mathematical modelling and energy management using automatic control systems.

The issue of energy has emerged as one of the greatest challenges facing mankind. In an industrial perspective, the development of site utility systems (generally combined heat and power (CHP) systems) for the generation and management of utilities provides a great potential source for energy savings. However, in most industrial sites, a master–slave relationship usually governs this kind of system and limits the potential operating capacity of CHP. To improve the decision-making process, Agha et al. (2010. Integrated production and utility system approach for optimising industrial unit operation. Energy, 35, 611–627) have proposed an integrated approach that carries out simultaneous and consistent scheduling of batch production plants and site utility systems. The modelling of the problem relies on a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) formulation. Nevertheless, although it is a powerful mathematical tool, it still remains difficult to use for non-expert engineers. In this framework, a graphical formalism based on existing representations (STN, RTN) has been developed: the extended resource task network (ERTN). Combined with an efficient and generic MILP formulation, it permits various kinds of industrial problems, including production and consumption of utility flows to be modelled homogenously. This paper focuses on the semantic elements of the ERTN formalism and illustrates their use through representative examples.

The main types of the heat exchange surfaces deposits when using heat transfer fluid are considered. Calculation dependences for scale formation velocity and heat transfer coefficient defining taking into account scale thermal resistance coefficient are represented. The calculation data for deposits formation velocity, thermal resistance coefficient and pressure losses increase are presented besides the assessment of the heat transfer surface deposits thickness impact on the heat exchanging unit hydraulic losses was carried out.

Artificial intelligence (AI) optimization capabilities are transforming healthcare supply chains (HSCs). However, the lack of clear guidance in academic literature on how to identify and adopt existing and emerging AI-based optimization techniques in HSCs is still an issue. This paper fills this gap by analysing 159 peer-reviewed articles published in the period from 2011 to 2025. The articles are coded to segment the research content into four structural categories: (1) the most prominent AI techniques in HSCs, (2) the possible AI techniques for HSCs, (3) the key success factors for AI implementation, and (4) the current scopes of AI-enhanced HSCs. The conceptual framework is developed on the basis of the results; these can guide the strategic implementation of AI-based optimization techniques to four key supply chain operations in the healthcare industry. The contributions and originality of this study are justified by synthesizing the studies on the use of AI in HSCs, by building a taxonomy of AI techniques in this application area, and by identifying the most important and, at the same time, least studied fields that require further research. The results and associated lessons learned aim to provide the academic community and practitioners with pragmatic guidelines to optimize HSCs using AI to enhance service delivery, decision-making, and overall operational efficiency.