Investigation of the fluid catalytic cracking of different H-Oil vacuum gas oils and their blends with hydrotreated vacuum gas oil

H-Oil vacuum gas oils obtained during hydrocracking of vacuum residual oils originated from the crudes Russian Export Blend, Basrah light, and Heavy Kazakh were cracked in a mixture with a hydrotreated vacuum gas oil in the LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas commercial fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. Some of the H-Oil vacuum gas oils were also cracked in a laboratory FCC (ACE) unit. The results from the commercial and the laboratory tests showed that the laboratory FCC experiments in an ACE unit can be used to evaluate the effect of feed quality on the commercial FCC unit performance. The assumption that the conversion of a vacuum gas oil (VGO) blend in the fluid catalytic cracking could be considered as a linear combination of the conversion of the individual components made by other researchers was also confirmed in this study. The higher the hydrogen content in the vacuum residual oil of a crude is the higher the FCC conversion of the H-Oil VGO, obtained during hydrocracking of that high saturate vacuum residual oil, will be expected.     

Analysis and design of voltage‐controlled current sources for a grounded load

The paper presents the structure and the principle of operation of the ‘improved’ Howland current pumps (or voltage‐controlled current sources (VCCSs) for a grounded load). In particular, under review is the VCCS employing power operational amplifier (op amp) and the VCCS using low power op amp and an additional power transistor, extending working dynamic range. On the basis of analysis of the operational principle, the equations for transfer functions of both circuits and formulas for the related dynamic electrical parameters are obtained. Moreover, using these formulas, a design procedure is developed, and recommendations for simulation modelling are given. The efficiency of the proposed procedure is verified by simulation modelling and experimental testing of sample electronic circuits of VCCSs. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of crack tip radius and crack orientation on metal fracture. Statistical prognosis

Aluminium specimens with pre-caused cracks with different tip radii are tensile tested at two temperatures. The cracks are differently oriented to the tensile axis. The results have undergone statistical processing integrated with fundamental fracture approach. Analytical model to prognosticate the defect metal reliability and the reliability of a randomly chosen detail from a defined set in the range of applied tensile stresses is found. A method for evaluation of the cracks tip radii and cracks orientation effect on fracture is suggested. The introduced strength spaces present a principal strength history of defect metal in interval load imposing-fracture at different temperatures.     

Crystallization of (Fe,Mn)-based nanoparticles in sodium-silicate glasses

In this investigation, glasses from the system Na₂O/MnO/SiO₂/Fe₂O₃ are prepared using a conventional glass-melting technique. During annealing the glass, a nanocrystalline (Fe, Mn)-based spinel phase is precipitated. The phase composition and microstructure of the formed glass–ceramics are studied using X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. Anomalous small-angle X-ray scattering experiment is used to gather information on the size, composition and element distribution for the precipitated (Fe, Mn)-based nanocrystals. The sizes of the formed spinel crystals, as determined by scanning electron microscopy and anomalous X-ray scattering, are in the range from 12 to 50 nm for annealing temperatures in the range from 550 to 700 °C. Annealing for a longer period of time at temperatures ≥600 °C results in the formation of a second crystalline phase, NaFe(SiO₃)₂ (aegirine). The ASAXS data show the formation of core–shell structure for the (Fe, Mn)-based crystals with core consisting mostly of iron oxide and a shell, depleted of Fe and Mn. The growth of the spinel crystals is assumed to be kinetically self-constrained.     

Effect of defect orientation on metal fracture-statistical prognosis

Aluminium specimens of pre-caused defects are tensile tested at different temperatures. The defects are differently oriented to the tensile axis. The results have undergone statistical processing integrated with fundamental fracture approach. Analytical model to prognosticate the metal reliability in the range of applied tensile stresses is found. A method for evaluation of the defects orientation effect on fracture is suggested. The introduced strength spaces present a principal strength history of loaded defect metal.     

Enzymic Modification of Feather Keratin Hydrolysates with Lysine Aimed at Increasing the Biological Value

The lysine content of feather protein hydrolysate was modified via activation with alkaline proteinase and trypsin at pH 6·2 and 8·3, respectively. Lysine was used as the hydrochloride and the diacetyl derivative in the first case and as the methyl ester in the trypsin modification. The results indicate a lysine content of 26–35 g kg^-1 and 59–64 g kg^-1 after alkaline proteinase activation and 52–65 g kg^-1 after trypsin activation. Considerable changes in the molecular mass profile of peptides were observed. Thus, enzyme modification is a way to raise the nutritive value of feather protein hydrolysate by increasing its lysine content (the main limiting essential amino acid). © 1997 SCI.