Production planning: a DEA-based approach

In organizations with a centralized decision making environment, production usually involves the participation of more than one individual unit, each contributing in part to the total production. The planning problem involves determining the number of products to be produced by all individual units in the next season when demand changes can be forecasted. This paper introduces a data envelopment analysis approach to making future production plans in a centralized decision making environment when demand changes can be forecasted in the next production season. The approach proposed in this paper takes the size of operational units into account so that the planned production for each unit becomes proportionate to the ability of the units. A real world data set is used to illustrate the applicability of the approach.     

Applying different optimization approaches to achieve optimal configuration of a dual pressure heat recovery steam generator

The optimal design for heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) should be chosen based on technical and economic considerations. Therefore, parameters that are related to thermodynamic and economic aspects should be considered in optimization approaches. It is worth mentioning that one of the significant issues in the HRSG design is the diversity of arrangements between various components (economizer, evaporator, and superheater), which absolutely affect the HRSG performance. According to these facts, in the present article, different arrangements of a dual pressure HRSG are analyzed, and the economizer at the high‐pressure level is divided into two parts; these arrangements are optimized by applying different optimization approaches to achieve the optimal configuration. These approaches include the reduction of gas pressure drop, the reduction of generated steam cost and the consideration of both approaches as the third approach. These three approaches are also considered to perform economic and thermodynamic optimization. With regard to the limitations of optimization such as the pinch and approach point, seven different configurations are considered. First, a comprehensive model is developed for calculating thermodynamic, heat transfer, and pressure loss. To perform a thorough optimization, both thermodynamic and geometric variables as well as diversity of various arrangements is considered using genetic algorithm. The results of the optimization study show that the best arrangement is not unique, and each arrangement has different characteristics. Hence, the best arrangement for the HRSG is chosen according to the importance of the objective functions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tie‐simplex based compositional space parameterization: Continuity and generalization to multiphase systems

A theoretical analysis is provided of the continuity of multiphase compositional space parameterization for thermal‐compositional reservoir simulation. It is shown that the tie‐simplex space changes continuously as a function of composition, pressure, and temperature, and this justifies the Compositional Space Adaptive Tabulation (CSAT) framework, in which a discrete number of tie‐simplexes are constructed, tabulated, and reused in the course of a simulation. The CSAT is extended for thermal‐compositional displacements for mixtures that can form an arbitrary number of phases. In particular, the construction is described of three‐phase tie‐simplex tables, and it is shown how the degeneration of multiphase regions can be accurately captured over wide ranges of temperature and pressure. Several challenging multiphase examples are used to demonstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of phase‐state identification using tabulated tie‐simplexes. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 1684–1701, 2013     

Optimization of PEMFC model parameters with a modified particle swarm optimization

In this paper, an electrochemical‐based proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model suitable for engineering applications is presented. In order to improve the accuracy of this model so that it can reflect the actual PEMFC performance better, its parameters are optimized by means of a modified particle swarm optimization (MPSO). The MPSO is a modified method for the PSO's inertia weight. The proposed inertia weight is calculated according to the distance of the particle's current position from the best solution of the entire swarm. The obtained results of the PEMFC model with optimized parameters agree with experimental data well. Therefore, the MPSO is a helpful and reliable technique for optimizing the model parameters and can be used to solve other complex parameter optimization problems of fuel cell models. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving the quality of surface in the polishing process with the magnetic abrasive powder polishing using a high-frequency induction heating source on CNC table

In this research, polishing flat surfaces has been done by using a completely new and innovative method. In this method, rotary magnetic tool that carry magnetic abrasive powders, is placed in a very strong thermal induction field, and magnetic rotary tool frequently change its direction from clockwise (CW) to counterclockwise (CCW) and CCW to CW. The frequency of changing rotation direction is an important parameter of this innovation method. The intended pieces for polishing operations have been placed on a synchronic two-axis Cartesian CNC table, and the gap between rotary magnetic tool and the sheet surface can be controlled by a power transmission screw operating in the direction of the vertical axis. Several experiments have proved high performance of the new proposed method in the process of polishing.     

Prediction of bulk modulus and volumetric expansion coefficient of water for leak tightness test of pipelines

To determine whether any pressure variation in pipeline hydrostatic test is a result of temperature changes or the presence of leaks, the calculation of pressure/temperature changes is required for test sections. In these calculations, bulk modulus and volumetric expansion coefficient of fresh or sea water must be taken into account. In this study, a simple-to-use correlation is developed to predict the bulk modulus and volumetric expansion coefficient of both fresh and sea water as a function of temperature and pressure. The proposed correlation helps to cover the bulk modulus and volumetric expansion coefficient of both fresh and sea water for temperatures less than 50 °C (40 °C for sea water) as well as pressures up to 55,000 kPa (550 bar). The results can be used in follow-up calculations to determine whether any pressure variation in pipeline hydrostatic test is a result of temperature changes or the presence of leaks. The proposed correlation showed promising results with average absolute deviations for volumetric expansion coefficient and bulk modulus of water being around 0.58% and 0.08% respectively. The novel correlation is easy to use and will prove to be of immense value for project engineers to test the critical limits accurately.     

The effects of food essential oils on cardiovascular diseases: A review

Essential oils (EO) are complex secondary metabolites, which are produced by aromatic plants and identified by their powerful odors. Present studies on EO and their isolated ingredients have drawn the attention of researchers to screen these natural products and evaluate their effect on the cardiovascular system. Some EO, and their active ingredients, have been reported to improve the cardiovascular system significantly by affecting vaso-relaxation, and decreasing the heart rate and exert a hypotension activity. Several mechanisms have been proposed for the role of EO and their main active components in promoting the health of the cardiovascular system. The objective of this review is to highlight the current state of knowledge on the functional role of EO extracted from plants for reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and their mechanisms of action. Research on EO has the potential to identify new bioactive compounds and formulate new functional products for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as arterial hypertension, angina pectoris, heart failure, and myocardial infarction.