Quantitative Risk Assessment for Process Design Modification and Maintenance Optimization in Refineries and Petrochemical Plants

Quantitative risk assessment is methodology based on calculating probabilities and frequencies of sequential events using Boolean algebra, and it is normally used to perform safety assessments for complex interacting systems. Although quantitative risk assessment has been commonly used in aerospace and nuclear industries, it can also be used for quantifying economic risk and for estimating possibilities of potential production losses in a petrochemical or a manufacturing plant. In developing quantitative risk assessment models for petrochemical plants, component failures as well as human (operator) errors are taken into consideration in developing the plant's fault‐tree logic, in which is used to predict probabilities of future plant upsets. This paper shows how the quantitative risk assessment can be used to rank the economic importance of the production units in a refinery for prioritizing maintenance activities. In addition, two case studies are compared to demonstrate how a quantitative risk assessment model can be used as an invaluable tool in process design optimization. The quantitative risk assessment methodology developed in this work relates production losses to the performance of the major components and the process design. This application of the quantitative risk assessment provides a basis for the risk‐informed decision‐making and optimizing allocation of plant resources in support of plant operation and maintenance activities.     

A novel approach toward integration of rules into business processes using an agent-oriented framework

Every action a business process performs must be explicitly anticipated, designed for, and implemented by business professionals. The business process is dependent upon business rules (BRs) to achieve its objectives, which also involve pre- and post-conditions in the business process (BP). Most of the current techniques implement these rules directly into BPs. This will result in the BP becoming even more complicated and harder to customize. Most BRs (and laws) are buried in data warehouses as raw data. Incorporating the BRs into any BP is very complex, in terms of customization, reuse, and system integration. To overcome this problem, we propose and implement an agent-oriented framework. Using this framework, we can make the process of incorporating BR into BP less complex. The agent creates a bridge between components of the business structure, the BRs, and the BP. The BP consists of activities and sub-activities. The agent is able to communicate with BP and BRs to execute a BP. The agent can also communicate with other agents and have control over their own internal states and behavior. In this paper, we propose and implement a simple case study to execute a BP dependent upon BRs. The case study shows how the agent will synchronize, integrate, and deploy the BP.     

An innovative computational algorithm for simulation of lead-acid batteries

Predicting transient behavior of lead-acid batteries during charge and discharge processes is an important factor in many applications including hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The conventional mathematical models, which are used to predict the battery dynamics, are either inaccurate or time-consuming. In this study, an improved and efficient mathematical model for simulation of flooded lead-acid batteries based on Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) has been introduced which inherits the accuracy of CFD model and the physical understanding of ECM. This approach makes the numerical procedure very efficient and easy to implement. Moreover, because of simplification of boundary conditions (BC's), it is very fast which makes it quite suitable for real-time simulations. The present approach is verified by previous CFD models and experimental data.     

Preparation of Janus-type superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles modified with functionalized PCL/PHEMA via photopolymerization for dual drug delivery

In this study, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) were synthesized by the coprecipitation of FeCl₂˙4H₂O and FeCl₃˙6H₂O and applied as a core for preparation of Janus nanoparticles. Accordingly, freshly modified methacrylated iron oxide nanoparticles were reacted with two functionalized polymers. Acrylated poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and acrylated poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) were synthesized via ring-opening and free-radical polymerization, respectively, and subsequent modification with acryloyl chloride. Acrylated PCL as the hydrophobic part and acrylated PHEMA as the hydrophilic domain were grafted on the surface of methacrylated iron oxide nanoparticles with two morphologies. Pickering emulsion and solution photopolymerization reactions were used to prepare nanoparticles with “Janus” and “mixed” morphologies, respectively. The products were characterized in each step using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scaterring (DLS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). Quercetin and 5-FU (as two anticancer drugs) were loaded in the mentioned nanoparticles, and the drug loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency (EE) of these nanoparticles were calculated. in vitro release behavior at two pH values (5.8 and 7.4) and at 37°C demonstrated that morphology can affect the release profile. Finally, rat C6 cell viability was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assay for drug-free and drug-loaded nanoparticles.     

Preparation and characterization of photocatalytic titania–alumina composite membranes by sol–gel methods

Titania–alumina composite membranes containing 10 and 20 mol% alumina were prepared by two different sol–gel methods; co-hydrolysis and separately peptized. The samples were characterized by different techniques. XRD results showed that for the composite membranes the anatase to rutile transformation temperature was increased by 200 and 300 °C. According to specific surface area results, alumina effectively increased the specific surface area of composite membranes compared to pure titania membranes. Microstructure of composite supported membranes was considered by scanning electron microscopy and showed a crack-free layer with 1 μm thickness. The photocatalytic activity of composite samples showed that alumina addition up to an optimum amount can slightly affect the photocatalytic activity of titania.     

Experimental Verification of the Averaged Strain Energy Density Criterion for Brittle Fracture in Blunt V-Notches under Pure Compression

Strength of Materials - The goal of the present study is to verify experimentally the Averaged Strain Energy Density (ASED) criterion for brittle fracture in blunt V-notches under pure compression....     

Investigation of the performance of several chemical additives on inhibition of asphaltene precipitation

The inhibition effects of several chemical additives on asphaltene precipitation were investigated by the microscopic method. The additives consist of a synthesized deep eutectic solvent (SDES), a commercial inhibitor, and three surfactants, namely lauric acid, octyl phenol, and dodecyl amine. The results showed the octyl phenol with 500 mg/L concentration is similar to commercial inhibitor and later SDES had the maximum effects on delaying the asphaltene precipitation onset point. The mean particle size of asphaltene using octyl phenol, SDES, lauric acid, and dodecyl amine decreased about 55%, 41%, 24%, and 18%, respectively, compared to the oil sample without any chemical additives.     

Analysis of Effective Environmental Flow Release Strategies for Lake Urmia Restoration

Saline lakes have diminished considerably due to large-scale irrigation projects throughout the world. Environmental flow (EF) release from upstream reservoirs could help conserve and restore these lakes. However, experiences from regions lacking environmental legislation or with insufficient water resources management show that, despite EF allocation, farmers tend to use all available water for agriculture. In this study, we employed a new method for designing environmental flow release strategies to restore desiccated terminal lakes in arid and semi-arid regions with intensive cultivation within the catchment. The novelty of the method is that it takes into account farmers’ water use behavior and the natural flow regime in upstream systems to design an optimum monthly EF release strategy for reservoirs. We applied the method to the water resource system of Lake Urmia, once the largest saline lake in the Middle East and now one of the most endangered saline lakes in the world. The analysis showed that the EF released is exploited by lowland farmers before reaching Lake Urmia and that inflow to the lake from some rivers has decreased by up to 80%. We propose a new EF release strategy that requires a considerable change in practice whereby water is released in the shortest possible time (according to reservoir outlet capacity) during the period of lowest irrigation demand in winter. Restoring the lake to minimum ecological level would require 2.4–3.4 km³ EF allocation by different methods of release based on the recent condition (2002–2011) of the lake.