Process heat integration of a heavy crude hydrotreatment plant

The present paper focuses on the study of process alternatives for heat integration of a heavy crude oil hydrotreatment plant. Experimental information obtained from a pilot scale, kinetics and reactor modeling tools, and a commercial process simulator were employed to develop mass and energy balances. Four study cases, which employ a combination of quenching and heat exchangers, were identified and evaluated. The results indicated that the case with two quenches with hydrogen and three heat exchangers is the best process heat integration (PHI) option from an energetic point of view.     

Use of Response Surface Methodology to Investigate the Effectiveness of Commercial Enzymes on Buckwheat Malt for Brewing Purposes

The influence of two factors, total concentration and fraction of three pairs of commercial enzymes, which showed statistical significance (Biocellulase W with Hitempase 2XL, Biocellulase W with Amylo 300 and Amylo 300 with Hitempase 2XL), were studied for their overall effect on buckwheat wort quality using response surface methodology (RSM). This study revealed that the addition of increasing levels of Hitempase 2XL to the buckwheat mash increased colour, extract levels, wort filtration, fermentability and total fermentable extract (TFE), along with decreasing viscosity values. Results also determined a high level of fermentability when an enzyme combination of 30% Biocellulase and 70% Hitempase was added to the mash. The addition of increasing levels of Amylo 300 to buckwheat mashes resulted in increases in fermentability and total fermentable extract (TFE), along with increases in total soluble nitrogen (TSN), free amino nitrogen (FAN) and Kolbach index (KI). With regard to the proposed optimal regime, although no synergistic effect was found when the three enzymes were used together, the optimum conditions for the production of buckwheat wort with lowest viscosity, highest extract and optimal fermentability were achieved using a joint model. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate the feasibility of producing wort suitable for the brewing of gluten‐free beer from 100% malted buckwheat with careful optimisation of enzyme types and dosage levels.     

Determining the Tensile Stress-Crack Opening Curve of Concrete by Inverse Analysis

The determination of the fundamental stress versus crack opening (σ-w) response of concrete under uniaxial tension is performed in this study through inverse analysis using data from notched beam tests. The procedure used for optimizing the parameters of the σ-w relation using the load versus crack mouth opening displacement response of the notched beam is described. Satisfactory comparisons have been obtained between the σ-w curves obtained through the inverse analysis and those directly measured in uniaxial tension tests. The use of weighting functions in the inverse analysis may be necessary when large crack widths are to be considered.     

New approaches for error estimation and adaptivity for 2D potential boundary element methods

This work presents two new error estimation approaches for the BEM applied to 2D potential problems. The first approach involves a local error estimator based on a gradient recovery procedure in which the error function is generated from differences between smoothed and non‐smoothed rates of change of boundary variables in the local tangential direction. The second approach involves the external problem formulation and gives both local and global measures of error, depending on a choice of the external evaluation point. These approaches are post‐processing procedures. Both estimators show consistency with mesh refinement and give similar qualitative results. The error estimator using the gradient recovery approach is more general, as this formulation does not rely on an ‘optimal’ choice of an external parameter. This work presents also the use of a local error estimator in an adaptive mesh refinement procedure. This r‐refinement approach is based on the minimization of the standard deviation of the local error estimate. A non‐linear programming procedure using a feasible‐point method is employed using Lagrange multipliers and a set of active constraints. The optimization procedure produces finer meshes close to a singularity and results that are consistent with the problem physics. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inhibition of sulfide on the simultaneous removal of nitrate and p‐cresol by a denitrifying sludge

BACKGROUND: Many industrial discharges, such as those generated from petrochemical refineries, contain large amounts of sulfurous, nitrogenous and organic contaminants. Denitrification has emerged as a suitable technology for the simultaneous removal of these pollutants in a single reactor unit; however, more evidence is demanded to clarify the limitations of denitrification on the simultaneous removal of sulfide and phenolic contaminants and to optimize the biological process. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of a denitrifying sludge to simultaneously convert sulfide and p‐cresol via denitrification. RESULTS: Sulfide was the preferred electron donor over p‐cresol, imposing a 5 h lag phase (required for complete sulfide removal) on organotrophic denitrification. Addition of sulfide (20 mg S^2? L^?1) to p‐cresol‐amended denitrifying cultures also decreased the reduction rate of nitrate and nitrite, as well as the production rate of nitrogen gas. Nitrite reduction rate was the most affected step by sulfide, decreasing from 35 to 21 mg N (g VSS d)^?1. A synergistic inhibitory effect of nitrate and sulfide was also observed on nitrite reduction. Despite the effects of sulfide on the respiratory rates monitored, complete removal of nitrate, sulfide and p‐cresol could be achieved after 48 h of incubation. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that simultaneous removal of sulfide and p‐cresol could be achieved in denitrifying reactors, but a large hydraulic residence time may be required to sustain an efficient process due to inhibitory effects of sulfide. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of pencil lead hardness on voltammetric response of graphite reinforcement carbon electrodes

This work studied the voltammetric response of graphite reinforcement electrodes made of different pencil lead hardness. The studies showed that harder graphite leads, regardless of their manufacturer, are more appropriate as electrode material for voltammetric purposes due to their higher peak currents, increasing sensitivity and reproducibility, with ΔEp closer to the theoretical value for a reversible system.     

Development of intelligent multisensor surveillance systems with agents

Intelligent multisensor surveillance systems consist of several types of sensors, which are installed on fixed and mobile devices. These components provide a huge quantity of information that has to be contrasted, correlated and integrated in order to recognize and react on special situations. These systems work in highly dynamic environments, with severe security and robustness requirements. All these characteristics imply the need for distributed solutions. In these solutions, scattered components can decide and act with some degree of autonomy (for instance, if they become isolated), or cooperate and coordinate for a complete tracking of special situations. In order to cope with these requirements and to better structure the solution, we have decided to design surveillance system control as a multiagent system. This is done by applying an agent-orientated methodology, which is assessed with concrete scenarios.     

Optimization of semiochemical-based trapping ofMetamasius hemipterus sericeus (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Response of adults of the West Indian sugarcane weevil,Metamasius hemipterus sericeus, to various semiochemical treatments and physical trap designs was studied in southern Florida in field-grown banana and Canary Island date palms. Ethyl acetate released alone at 860–1007 mg/day was as effective for the capture ofM. h. sericeus as a combination of ethyl acetate (844–919 mg/day), ethyl propionate (348–362 mg/day), and ethyl butyrate (117–137 mg/day) and in one trial was more effective than fermenting sugarcane (250 g), ethyl propionate alone (353–384 mg/day), ethyl butyrate alone (123–174 mg/day), or no treatment. Ethyl acetate released alone at 675–683 mg/day was as attractive as 250 g of fermenting sugarcane or the racemic blend of the male-produced aggregation pheromones [(±)-5-methyl-nonan-4-ol and (±)-2-methyl-heptan-4-ol (8:1 ratio) “metalure”] at 3 mg/day. Weevil counts increased with binary combinations of ethyl acetate, sugarcane, and/or metalure over these treatments alone and the ternary combination was two to three times more effective than any of the binary treatments. Attraction to ethyl acetate released alone at 777 mg/day with metalure was greater than to the hydrolysis products of ethyl acetate (ethanol and/or acetic acid each released at about 6–8 mg/day) with metalure. Weevil counts from traps baited with 250 g of sugarcane and metalure increased with increasing dose of ethyl acetate to about 400 mg/day and then appeared to plateau. Ethyl acetate (about 700 mg/day) and metalure increased weevil counts in traps with increasing amounts of sugarcane (0–2 kg). Molasses (45 g) + water (158 ml) substitutes for sugarcane were about as effective for capturingM. h. sericeus as 250 g of fermenting sugarcane [all treatments with ethyl acetate (847 mg/day) and metalure]. Early experiments used a lethal pitfall trap. We demonstrated that several alternative trap designs were more effective than the lethal pitfall trap for capturing weevils. Color and height (on ground vs. 1 m on pole) did not affect trap efficacy when baited with the ternary combination of ethyl acetate (672–825 mg/day), sugarcane (250 g), and metalure.     

Ornament and function

The architects and builders in the past lacked our knowledge concerning fluid dynamics, but they exhibited a deep rooted ability to observe and reflect - thus, different cultures have developed by trial and error. The authors have produced a stimulating analysis which couples the science of fluid dynamics and a sensitive understanding of past cultures. The paper is recommended reading.     

Density of 1,1-dichloro-1-fluoroethane (HCFC 141b) as a function of temperature and pressure

The density of HCFC 141b has been measured at several temperatures between 260 and 320 K, Mid pressures up to 20 MPa, with a mechanical oscillator densimeter. The densimeter was calibrated with 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, whose density was obtained from a correlating cyuation with 0.3% uncertainty. The density data obtained for HCFC 14H) hits a reproducibility of 0.05% and an uncertainty of 0.3%. The data obtained were fitted to a Tait-type equation. which reproduced the experimental densities within 0.11 % and were compared with the data obtained in other works.Paper presented at the Twelfth Symposium on Thermophysical Properties, June 19–24, 1994, Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.