Air Products Research Articles

Air Products sues to stop federal helium asset sale

Air Products sues to stop federal helium asset sale

Decomposition mechanism of clean air based on ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation and quantum chemical calculation

SF6 is widely used in gas switchgear but has a strong greenhouse effect. The development of an environment-friendly switchgear that can replace SF6 is a current research hotspot. As a SF6 alternative technology, vacuum arc-extinguishing chamber plus clean air insulation has shown high application prospects. The clean air inside the switchgear decomposes under the effect of high temperature and discharge; however, only a few studies focused on its decomposition mechanism. In this work, the decomposition mechanism of clean air and the effect of temperature on the decomposition are simulated at the atomic level based on ReaxFF (Reactive force field) molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry theory. Results showed that the decomposition of clean air mainly generates NO, NO2, and N2O. NO is the main product at high temperatures and thus can be the characteristic decomposition product of clean air. The clean air has good self-recovery characteristics, and its decomposition can be substantially promoted by increasing the temperature. The decomposition rates of N2 and O2 under 3000 K can reach 7.00% and 8.00%, respectively, which are twice and four times those under 2000 K. These results can provide theoretical basis and engineering guidance for the development of environment-friendly switchgear with vacuum arc-extinguishing chamber plus clean air insulation.

TEMPERATURE OF THE COMPRESSOR SUCTION AIR AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF THE COMPRESSOR UNIT

The climatic conditions of Uzbekistan are characterized by relatively long summers with air temperature of 40-45 0C and higher, which is the reason of significant heating of air suctioned by compressor. Increase in temperature and corresponding decrease inair density contributes to 8-10% decrease in compressor unit productivity, leading to significant economic losses in the process of compressed air production. By means of artificial cooling of suction air at the inlet to the compressor unit it is possible to increase the energy efficiency of operation of the mine reciprocating compressor unit.The effectiveness of artificial air temperature reduction depends on the amount of temperature reduction and the type of plant drive, as well as on the purpose -toreduce the specific electric energy consumption for compression or to increase the capacity of the reciprocating compressor.

RESULTS OF INDUSTRIAL TESTS OF A CONDENSING VAPOR RECOVERY UNIT AT AN OFFSHORE OIL TERMINAL

An effective method of reducing vapor emissions of liquid hydrocarbons, creating safe operating conditions for facilities for loading oil products into vehicles is the use of vapor recovery units (VRU). Among the available types of VRU, condensing installations are distinguished, the operation of which is based on the difference in the condensation temperatures of air and petroleum product vapors. To the advantages of condensing VRU developers refer: 1) safety; 2) low hydraulic resistance; 3) production of condensate of high commercial quality; 4) the possibility of accounting for the captured product; 5) the absence of secondary contaminated waste; 6) the practical absence of the need to purchase and dispose of consumables.
 The article presents the results of tests of the condensing VRU, called the «Condensation and Dispersion Complex», during the gasoline shipment at one of the offshore oil terminals in the spring and summer period.
 During the condensating VRU tests, the average degree of purification efficiency of the gas-air mixture (GAM) from gasoline vapors is established, which is significantly lower than the suppliers of condensing VRU declare and is
 completely insufficient to solve environmental problems. The content of hydrocarbons in the GAM at the output of the VRU turned out to be several times higher than was stated by the developer.
 The reason for this negative result is insufficient deep cooling of the gas-air mixture. It has been initially chosen incorrectly, because it does not take into account the accumulated experience in the world of using condensating URPs. The lowest achieved GAM temperature is several degrees higher than the coolant temperature in the condenser heat exchangers, which indicates an incorrect choice of condensation criteria.
 The amount of gasoline that was captured during the loading of one tanker was determined, as well as the amount of hydrate inhibitor required for this and the electricity consumption. It is established that the consumption of consumables during the operation of the condensing URP, called the «Condensation and Dispersion Complex», is rather high. Therefore, the developers' statement about the absence of consumption by the installation of consumables is a marketing technique.

Monitoring The Quality of a Reverse Osmosis System in The Energy Systems of The Milk Processing Plant

The objective of the present work is to monitor and control the physicochemical quality of the osmosis water that feeds the dairy industry in our case the power plant, specifically in terms of energy services. The three energy installations fed by reverse osmosis water are the boiler room, the cold room and the compressed air. These facilities respectively allow the production of steam, the absorption of heat from water through ammonia and the production of compressed air. During a period of 30 days, we monitored the pH, conductivity, alkalinity, hydrometric title, and chlorine content on water samples at the feed tank, boiler, and condenser. The results of the majority of the experimental analyzes comply with the standards imposed except for a few days.

Cold pressed virgin coconut oil production: Enhancing energy efficiency through a closed tunnel hot air generation system

The primary aim of this paper was to research and develop a closed tunnel house hot air production system, focusing on cost reduction in the cold-pressed coconut oil production process. The study's scope was centered on a case analysis of Tropicana Oil Co. Ltd. situated in Sampran district, Nakhon Pathom province. The research encompassed the design of a system capable of generating hot air and conserving thermal energy within a closed tunnel house environment. This included developing and constructing a prototype system tailored to this purpose. One of the key objectives was to assess the system's efficiency within the closed tunnel house setup. The broader goal was to enhance air temperature while reducing moisture content before initiating the coconut drying process. It was achieved through an electricity-powered hot air-drying technique, the process aimed to efficiently eliminate water or moisture from dried coconut, priming it for the subsequent cold-pressed oil extraction phase. The resulting system is anticipated to yield multiple benefits. It's projected to curtail energy consumption for operators by minimizing temperature losses within the system. This is facilitated by augmenting natural heat to elevate the air and container temperature during baking. Furthermore, this research unveiled insights into the optimal tunnel house configuration as a highly effective heat source. It also advanced knowledge in creating low-humidity heat storage systems and measurement/control mechanisms tailored for specific tasks. These innovations are anticipated to have applications beyond the coconut oil industry, extending to other sectors reliant on heat energy for production processes.

Optimizing Air Compressor Productivity in Supporting Operational Activities on The Mt Ship. Gamalam

Air compressors are auxiliary machines on board that can produce high pressure air. This research was conducted because the productivity of the air compressor was less than optimal, causing air production and the performance of the air compressor to be less than optimal and disrupting operational activities on the ship. The impact that occurs when air production is reduced in the air compressor, the ship cannot operate according to the contract specified by the company, because the initial start of the main engine or main engine on board requires compressed air. Many factors can cause reduced production of air produced by air compressors, including the lack of performance of the suction valve and exhaust valve on the high pressure section which causes less maximum or longer time for filling air into the air bottle, low flow of the lubrication system on the piston which causes no compression to produce air. This research was carried out with the aim of identifying and analyzing the causes of the lack of performance of the suction and exhaust valves on high pressure sections and low flow of the piston lubrication system which results in less optimal performance of the air compressor when filling into air bottles. The method used in this study uses a qualitative descriptive method using primary and secondary data collection approaches and techniques. The lack of performance of the inlet and exhaust valves can be corrected by cleaning the carbon deposits on the valves and leveling the valve surfaces. The low flow of the lubrication system on the piston can be done by checking the lubricating oil pump, cleaning the lubricating oil filter, changing the lubricating oil periodically according to the instruction manual book, and adding lubricating oil according to the specifications of the air compressor.

Scoping review of indoor air quality indexes: Characterization and applications

Better understanding of indoor air quality (IAQ) and parameters affecting it, can improve the management of indoor environment quality (IEQ), reduce health risks, and enhance the occupant's well-being. The energy divisions, health and economy sectors are highly correlated to the concept of IAQ in terms of air ventilation, public health, and productivity. We performed a worldwide scoping review in accordance with the PRISMA extension (PRISMA-ScR) on IAQ indexes with different definitions and indicators, for various aims and applications (from indoor climate to indoor pollutants; for different indoor environments and ventilation setups). Correspondingly, IAQ-related issues were reviewed, including health effects, energy efficiency, and economic impacts. Information on different IAQ indexes was obtained from 110 studies from 23 countries. The use and type of ventilation systems as well as the duration and location of studies are reviewed. Also, the variability of the studied parameters in the literature were investigated. Finally, a novel detailed scoping classification based on different approaches for IAQ index development is presented for the first time. The “objective” approach, has become prevalent over the “subjective” approach, in design, development, and application of IAQ indexes. In addition, consideration of mechanical and natural ventilation was observed in 57 and 18% of the studies, respectively. This scoping review can aid as a first step, to better understand different expressions of IAQ by mean of an index, and their applications for future research and developments.

Analisis Penerapan Green Accounting dan Dampaknya terhadap Laba Usaha

Indonesia is included in the top five countries whose industrial sector is quite high, so that Indonesia is known as an industrial country. It is undeniable that the industrial sector creates various problems for the environment such as water and air pollution, production waste and social inequality in the environment. Green accounting is an accounting concept that emphasizes the balance between business objectives, namely obtaining profit and environmental objectives, namely environmental sustainability itself. The purpose of this study is to describe how the implementation of green accounting at PT ABC and whether the application has an impact on PT ABC's operating profit. This research was conducted using qualitative methods with a descriptive approach. Data collection by researchers is by way of observation, interviews and documentation. Informants in this study were production managers, SPV accounting and the community around the factory. The results of this study indicate that PT ABC has carried out its responsibility towards the surrounding environment by incurring costs related to environmental activities. The costs incurred are environmental prevention costs and internal failure costs. The application of green accounting at PT ABC has a positive impact on company profits. Although an increase in company profits may not occur immediately, with a strong commitment to sustainable practices, companies can obtain greater and more sustainable financial benefits in the future.

Thermal performance analysis of 18,650 battery thermal management system integrated with liquid-cooling and air-cooling

The growing emphasis on developing high-performance battery thermal management systems to maintain optimal temperatures in lithium-ion batteries makes it a key priority in the electric vehicle industry. Therefore, this study aims to explore a composite thermal management system that leverages both air and liquid cooling. The study investigates the thermal effects of varying liquid flow rates and air flow rates in a computational fluid dynamics model for an 18,650 battery pack discharged at 2C. A three-dimensional model is built in ANSYS SCDM, and the mesh is generated using Fluent Meshing. Subsequently, the model is imported into Fluent to solve the turbulent flow using the k-ε model. The obtained results provide a temporal characterization of the battery thermal management system. Research indicates that the utilization of the composite thermal management system can reduce the temperature difference of the battery pack to a minimum of 3.73 K. Increasing air and liquid flow rates also decrease the highest temperature to 317.38 K. Moreover, increasing air and liquid flow rates reduce entropy production in the thermal management system. Notably, air flow affects entropy production in both air and fluid regions, making it a more effective means to reduce entropy production. In conclusion, the proposed composite thermal management system improves the cooling performance of traditional thermal management systems and provides guidance for efficient battery thermal management design.

Experimental study of the performance of open–type refrigerated display cabinet

<p>This paper presents experimental investigations of the efficiency of an open-type refrigerated display cabinet used to store food at temperatures between –1 and +7 °C. The purpose of the study was to increase the efficiency of the open-type cabinet by improving its design. The cabinet has five shelves for food products with lengths of 350-600 mm. The spacing between the base and the first shelf is 280 mm, and between the other shelves it is 250 mm. The air enters the cabinet from the return air grille (RAG) at the bottom of the front panel, fans blow air through the evaporator, and the cooled air travels through a tunnel to the top of the refrigerator. The perforated distributor at the top distributes the cooled air, and part of the air is blown through the perforated back panel and the other part passes through the air-off honeycomb (dimensions (WH) are 12020 mm) at the front top of the cabinet, thus forming an air curtain between the inside of the refrigerator and the ambient warm air to protect the chilled food products. The cooled air entering through the perforated back panel into the display area helps maintain the required food temperature. In this study, two versions of the refrigerated cabinet were analyzed. The first version is the standard refrigeration cabinet and the second version is the same cabinet but with a change in the angle of inclination of the honeycomb and a reduction in the depth of the shelves. Air and test product temperatures were measured with thermocouples, and electrical energy consumption was measured with the Carel MT300W1100 energy meter. The experimental results show that the infiltration ratio decreases from 38.7 to 27.7%, and the 24-hour electrical consumption decreases from 24.91 to 19.22 kWh in the case of the modified cabinet. The average air temperature in the return air grille (RAG) decreased from 7.5 to 6.52 °C with the same temperature settings. The average temperature of the M packages decreased by 0.2-2.2 °C depending on the position in the refrigerator.</p>

Data-driven predictive maintenance framework for railway systems

The emergence of the Industry 4.0 trend brings automation and data exchange to industrial manufacturing. Using computational systems and IoT devices allows businesses to collect and deal with vast volumes of sensorial and business process data. The growing and proliferation of big data and machine learning technologies enable strategic decisions based on the analyzed data. This study suggests a data-driven predictive maintenance framework for the air production unit (APU) system of a train of Metro do Porto. The proposed method assists in detecting failures and errors in machinery before they reach critical stages. We present an anomaly detection model following an unsupervised approach, combining the Half-Space-trees method with One Class K Nearest Neighbor, adapted to deal with data streams. We evaluate and compare our approach with the Half-Space-Trees method applied without the One Class K Nearest Neighbor combination. Our model produced few type-I errors, significantly increasing the value of precision when compared to the Half-Space-Trees model. Our proposal achieved high anomaly detection performance, predicting most of the catastrophic failures of the APU train system.

Nutrition paves the way to environmental toxicants and influences fetal development during pregnancy.

Nutrition plays a major role in the healthy pregnancy and development of the fetus. In addition, nutrition can expose humans to a wide range of potentially hazardous environmental constituents, such as organic pollutants and heavy metals from marine or agricultural food products while processing, producing, and packaging. Humans constantly face these constituents through air, water, soil, food, and domestic products. During pregnancy, the rate of cellular division and differentiation is higher; exposure to any of these environmental toxicants can lead to developmental defects as they cross the placental barrier and, in some cases, can harm the successive generation too, as some contaminants can act on the reproductive cells of the fetus (Diethylstilbestrol). Pregnant women are considered a vulnerable population to food contaminant exposure and require a proper dietary chart and conscious food choices. Food is a source of both essential nutrients and environmental toxicants. Here, we have researched the possible toxicants of the food industry and their influence on the fetus's in-utero development, along with the importance of dietary interventions and the need to balance a healthy diet to overcome the harms. The cumulative exposure to environmental toxicants can influence the mother's prenatal environment and affect the fetus's development.

Assessment of the state of the ecosystem of the Lipetsk region

The characteristics of the state of the ecosystem of the Lipetsk Region are presented on the basis of official statistical reporting by the Office of Rospotrebnadzor for the Lipetsk Region, the Lipetsk Center for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring - a branch of the Central Chernozem UGMS, the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Lipetsk Region. Environmental problems of the Lipetsk region are associated with pollution of atmospheric air,drinking water, soil, and food products by toxic substances. Sources of environmental pollution are ferrous metallurgy, chemical industry, motor vehicles, agricultural production, including livestock. Anthropogenic anomalies of the habitat are becoming one of the main causes of veterinary problems in modern animal husbandry. The purpose of the study: to assess the state of the ecosystem of the territory of the Lipetsk region, including monitoring of surface watercourses in the area of the city of Lipetsk: the rivers Matyra, Voronezh, Lipovka and the Matyr reservoir. For the analysis of water sources for heavy metal contamination with an atomic absorption spectrometer with electrothermal authorization "MGA-1000". Sampling of natural water was carried out according to GOST 17.1.5.05-85. The volume of the sample taken was 250 ml, the filtrate was preserved with nitric acid. Statistical processing of analytical data was carried out by conventional methods.Up to 90% of emissions of harmful substances from stationary and mobile sources of pollution are accumulated by soil, from where toxins migrate into water and plants. The content of zinc slightly exceeded the maximum permissible level in 35% of the selected samples, %, manganese - in 32% and aluminum - in 34% of the selected samples. So the highest content of iron and lead was recorded in the river. Voronezh and in the region of Lipetsk, exceeding the MPC by 1.5 times. To a lesser extent, increases in MPC r. Matyr and Matyr-sky reservoir.

The Non-Linear Relationship between Air Pollution, Labor Insurance and Productivity: Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines Approach

This study explores the non-linear relationship between air pollution, socio-economic factors, labor insurance, and labor productivity in the industrial sector in Taiwan. Using machine learning, specifically multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), provides an alternative approach to examining the impact of air pollution on labor productivity, apart from the traditional linear relationships and parametric methods employed in previous studies. Examining this topic is imperative for advancing the knowledge on the effects of air pollution on labor productivity and its association with labor insurance, employing a machine learning framework. The results reveal that air pollution, particularly PM10, has a negative impact on labor productivity. Lowering the PM10 level below 36.2 μg/m3 leads to an increase in marginal labor productivity. Additionally, the study identifies labor insurance as a significant factor in improving productivity, with a 9% increase in the total number of labor insurance holders resulting in a substantial 42.9% increase in productivity. Notably, a link between air pollution and insurance is observed, indicating that lower air pollution levels tend to be associated with higher labor insurance coverage. This research holds valuable implications for policymakers, businesses, and industries as it offers insights into improving labor productivity and promoting sustainable economic development.

Physical, Chemical, and Biological Pollution in Water, Air and Soil Industrial Products From PT. Torabika Eka Universe in Cikupa Tangerang

Technological developments certainly provide big changes in human life, starting from infrastructure management to the food industry, and the drug industry, everything is very easy to do by utilizing current technological sophistication. Many bad impacts arise from these technological advances, the most prominent of which is pollution due to waste generated from the industry. The impact that occurs from failure in waste treatment is the occurrence of air, soil, and water pollution. This research method is a qualitative descriptive research, where the researcher directly becomes the instrument and the company is the respondent. Based on research results Pollution of water, air, and soil due to the industrial products of PT. Torabika Eka Semesta found that Torabika is a well-known coffee drink brand in Indonesia. To maintain a healthy environment, the Torabika company can do several things, including 1) Companies reduce their use of single-use plastic packaging; 2) Use environmentally friendly raw materials; 3) Optimizing energy use; 4) Improve recycling programs; 5) Build environmental awareness among employees and customers; 6) Improve recycling programs; 7) Build environmental awareness among employees and customers; 8) Improve recycling programs; and 9) Build environmental awareness among employees and customers.

Insights into oxidation and nitridation of alumina-forming FeCrAl alloy after supercritical water exposure: Effect of pre-corrosion on high-temperature damage behavior

This work investigated the corrosion characteristics of FeCrAl alloy in supercritical water (SCW), and focused on the effect of SCW pre-corrosion on the alloy oxidation and nitridation at 900 °C. FeCrAl alloy formed outer Fe-rich oxides (mainly Fe2O3) and inner Fe-Cr-Al oxides during SCW exposure. SCW pre-corrosion made FeCrAl alloy exhibit different morphologies and phase compositions in the same medium. SCW pre-corrosion promoted the deposition of Ni and Mo elements from the autoclave, filling the gaps in flaky oxides by forming Ni- and/or Mo-rich products in air and N2. Moreover, SCW pre-corrosion avoided the appearance of accelerated nitridation zones in N2. However, pre-corrosion caused the preferential diffusion of N2 and air. Outward-diffused Cr ions during SCW exposure reacted with O impurities in N2 to form Cr2O3 that easily dissociated N2, leading to the development of nitridation towards the alloy interior.

Uzbekistan to get olefins complex

The Uzbek firm Gas Chemical Complex MTO Central Asia is teaming up with Air Products to build a methanol-to-olefins complex in the Karakul Free Economic Zone in Uzbekistan’s Bukhara region. The plant will convert natural gas into methanol, which will then be used to make downstream chemicals. The complex will also have plants for making polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate, and polyethylene terephthalate. Separately, Air Products has agreed to purchase a synthesis gas processing unit, which makes carbon monoxide and hydrogen from natural gas, in Qashqadaryo Province, Uzbekistan, from Uzbekneftegaz JSC for $1 billion. The syngas will be used to make synthetic fuels.

Application of human biomonitoring data to support policy development, raise awareness and environmental public health protection among countries within the HBM4EU project

Most countries have acknowledged the importance of assessing and quantifying their population's internal exposure from chemicals in air, water, soil, food and other consumer products due to the potential health and economic impact. Human biomonitoring (HBM) is a valuable tool which can be used to quantify such exposures and effects. Results from HBM studies can also contribute to improving public health by providing evidence of individuals' internal chemical exposure as well as data to understand the burden of disease and associated costs thereby stimulating the development and implementation of evidence-based policy. To have a holistic view on HBM data utilisation, a multi-case research approach was used to explore the use of HBM data to support national chemical regulations, protect public health and raise awareness among countries participating in the HBM4EU project. The Human Biomonitoring for Europe (HBM4EU) Initiative (https://www.hbm4eu.eu/) is a collaborative effort involving 30 countries, the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission (contracting authority) to harmonise procedures across Europe and advance research into the understanding of the health impacts of environmental chemical exposure. One of the aims of the project was to use HBM data to support evidence based chemical policy and make this information timely and directly available for policy makers and all partners. The main data source for this article was the narratives collected from 27 countries within the HBM4EU project. The countries (self-selection) were grouped into 3 categories in terms of HBM data usage either for public awareness, policy support or for the establishment HBM programme. Narratives were analysed/summarised using guidelines and templates that focused on ministries involved in or advocating for HBM; steps required to engage policy makers; barriers, drivers and opportunities in developing a HBM programme. The narratives reported the use of HBM data either for raising awareness or addressing environmental/public health issues and policy development. The ministries of Health and Environment were reported to be the most prominent entities advocating for HBM, the involvement of several authorities/institutions in the national hubs was also cited to create an avenue to interact, discuss and gain the attention of policy makers. Participating in European projects and the general population interest in HBM studies were seen as drivers and opportunities in developing HBM programmes. A key barrier that was cited by countries for establishing and sustaining national HBM programmes was funding which is mainly due to the high costs associated with the collection and chemical analysis of human samples. Although challenges and barriers still exist, most countries within Europe were already conversant with the benefits and opportunities of HBM. This article offers important insights into factors associated with the utilisation of HBM data for policy support and public awareness.

Responsive photonic hydrogel for colorimetric detection of formaldehyde

Formaldehyde (FA) can damage DNA, cause liver and kidney dysfunction, and ultimately lead to malignant tumors. Therefore, it is essential to develop a method that can conveniently detect FA with high detection sensitivity. Here, a responsive photonic hydrogel was prepared by embedding three-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) into amino-functionalized hydrogel to construct a colorimetric sensing film for FA. The amino groups on the polymer chains of the photonic hydrogel reacts with FA to increase the crosslinking density of the hydrogel, resulting in its volume shrinkage and a decrease in microsphere spacing of the PC. That causes the reflectance spectra blue-shift of more than 160 nm and color change from red to cyan for the optimized photonic hydrogel, achieving the sensitive, selective and colorimetric detection of FA. The constructed photonic hydrogel shows good accuracy and reliability for practical determination of FA in air and aquatic products, providing a new strategy for designing other target analytes responsive photonic hydrogels.