Restructuring bank networks after mergers and acquisitions: A capacitated delocation model for closing and resizing branches

During restructuring processes, due to mergers and acquisitions, banks frequently face the problem of having redundant branches competing in the same market. In this work, we introduce a new Capacitated Branch Restructuring Model which extends the available literature in delocation models. It considers both closing down and long term operations׳ costs, and addresses the problem of resizing open branches in order to maintain a constant service level. We consider, as well, the presence of competitors and allow for ceding market share whenever the restructuring costs are prohibitively expensive.We test our model in a real life scenario, obtaining a reduction of about 40% of the network size, and annual savings over 45% in operation costs from the second year on. We finally perform a sensitivity analysis on critical parameters. This analysis shows that the final design of the network depends on certain strategic decisions concerning the redundancy of the branches, as well as their proximity to the demand nodes and to the competitor׳s branches. At the same time, this design is quite robust to changes in the parameters associated with the adjustments on service capacity and with the market reaction.     

Potential for rice straw ethanol production in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

This study is to evaluate the potential for development of a cellulosic ethanol facility in Vietnam. Rice straw is abundant in Vietnam and highly concentrated in the Mekong Delta, where about 26 Mt year⁻¹ of rice straw has been yearly produced. To minimize the overall production cost (PC) of ethanol from rice straw, it is crucial to choose the optimal facility size. The delivered cost of rice straw varied from 20.5 to 65.4 $ dry t⁻¹ depending on transportation distance. The Mekong Delta has much lower rice straw prices compared with other regions in Vietnam because of high density and quantity of rice straw supply. Thus, this region has been considered as the most suitable location for deploying ethanol production in Vietnam. The optimal plant size of ethanol production in the region was estimated up to 200 ML year⁻¹. The improvement in solid concentration of material in the hydrothermal pre-treatment step and using residues for power generation could substantially reduce the PC in Vietnam, where energy costs account for the second largest contribution to the PC, following only enzyme costs. The potential for building larger ethanol plants with low rice straw costs can reduce ethanol production costs in Vietnam. The current estimated production cost for an optimal plant size of 200 ML year⁻¹ was 1.19 $ L⁻¹. For the future scenario, considering improvements in pre-treatment, enzyme hydrolysis steps, specific enzyme activity, and applying residues for energy generation, the ethanol production cost could reduce to 0.45 $ L⁻¹ for a plant size of 200 ML year⁻¹ in Vietnam. These data indicated that the cost-competitiveness of ethanol production could be realized in Vietnam with future improvements in production technologies.     

石油化工可燃气体或蒸气排放系统的消防安全设计

石油化工生产装置大多是通过火炬燃烧排放易燃易爆气体或通过放空管将易爆气体直接排入大气中。文章分析了火炬系统和放空管的火灾危险因素,并从火炬的布置、高度、排放能力、自动监控装置以及放空管的气体排放浓度、安装位置、安全装置等方面,重点论述了火炬系统和放空管的消防安全设计要点。     

浅论国内大中型磷铵装置技术改造路线的选择

简述国内磷酸二铵的建设情况及不同的生产工艺、原有磷酸二铵装置改造选用的工艺及生产情况 ,重点介绍 Incro工艺在云南红河州磷肥厂年产 12万吨磷铵装置中的改造情况 ,经过比较认为原采用预中和槽流程磷酸二铵装置增产改造时选用 Incro工艺比较合适     

Facility layout problems: A survey

Layout problems are found in several types of manufacturing systems. Typically, layout problems are related to the location of facilities (e.g., machines, departments) in a plant. They are known to greatly impact the system performance. Most of these problems are NP hard. Numerous research works related to facility layout have been published. A few literature reviews exist, but they are not recent or are restricted to certain specific aspects of these problems. The literature analysis given here is recent and not restricted to specific considerations about layout design.

We suggest a general framework to analyze the literature and present existing works using such criteria as: the manufacturing system features, static/dynamic considerations, continual/discrete representation, problem formulation, and resolution approach. Several research directions are pointed out and discussed in our conclusion.     

雅克拉凝析气田高压脱水工艺的成功应用

雅克拉凝析气田位于新疆阿克苏境内，2005年11月29日建成投运的260×10⁴m³/d雅克拉集气处理站是目前中石化最大的高压凝析气处理装置。该站的高压分子筛脱水工艺为两塔流程，采用差压再生（吸附压力5.9 MPa、再生压力2.8 MPa）、再生气自动回收工艺技术，并采用时序控制程序自动切换，具有工艺简单可靠、自动化程度高、热能利用率高、脱水露点深度高、操作维护简单、投资较少、运行成本低等优点，自建成投产以来运行稳定，效果十分显著。该工艺装置的成功应用，对类似脱水装置设计、操作具有一定参考价值。     

钢样成分化验分析结果网络传输系统的开发与应用

钢样成分化验分析结果网络传输系统将碳硫分析仪、光谱分析仪和相应的计算机控制系统按以太网络结构组联,形成"炉前分析网络",采用分析网主服务器系统软件和网络分析系统软件实现网络传输。该系统可将炉前钢样化验分析结果实时传输到炉前大屏,具有传输速度快、准确率高的特点,提高了工作效率和产品合格率,降低了生产成本。     

一种基于GE90-30PLC的飞剪自动控制系统

本文介绍了调整线材轧线精轧机前专用于切头的启停式飞剪的自动控制系统。该系统以GE90—30PLC为控制核心，辅以热金属HMD、光电编码器等元件，能很好地完成飞剪的剪切及定位。其中着重阐述了飞剪控制中各个重要参数的计算原理和方法。     

A load dispatch method using fractional programming and semidefinite programming

This paper describes a load dispatch method which minimizes power cost—[fuel cost]/[electric output]—for a power system with thermal plants and energy storage facilities. The proposed method employs fractional programming to convert a minimization problem with fractional objective function to a series of quadratic minimization problems, and semidefinite programming to solve converted problems. The method provides the optimum time‐dependent power output/input and storage level of energy storage facilities as well as time‐dependent power output of thermal plants. The method has been applied to a power system with five thermal plants, two energy storage facilities of various performances, and five load demands. The optimum load scheme of four time mesh points is obtained for the thermal plants and energy storage facilities. The fractional programming successfully converges the optimal scheme through a few iterations. The semidefinite programming deals with a variable matrix of 164 dimensions, and 185 inequality constraints. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 138(2): 49–58, 2002     

The summary of researches on ADS in China

The conceptual study on the accelerator driven system (ADS) that lasted for about five years ended in 1999 in China. As one project of the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) in the energy domain, which is sponsored by the China Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), a five-year-program of fundamental research of ADS physics and related technology was launched in 2000 and passed national review at the end of 2005. The China Institute of Atomic Energy (CIAE), the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), the Institute of Heavy Ion Physics in Peking University (PKU-IHIP) and other institutions jointly carried out the research. The research activities were focused on HPPA physics and technology, reactor physics of external source driven sub-critical assembly, nuclear data base and material study. For HPPA, a high current injector consisting of an ECR ion source, LEBT and an RFQ accelerating structure of 3.5 MeV was built. In reactor physics study, a series of neutron multiplication experimental study has been carried out and still being done. The VENUS facility has been constructed as the basic experimental platform for neutronics study in ADS blanket. It’s a zero power sub-critical neutron multiplying assembly driven by external neutron produced by a pulsed neutron generator. The theoretical, experimental and simulation study on nuclear data, material properties and nuclear fuel circulation related to ADS is carrying on to provide the database for ADS system analysis. The main results on ADS related researches will be reported.