Batch Process Research Articles

Rapid quantitative determination method of four heavy metals in strawberry

A rapid quantitative determination method of mercury, arsenic and arsenic, cadmium and chromium in strawberry was established. The sample to be tested was prepared into the solution to be tested, and the content of mercury, arsenic, cadmium and chromium were determined respectively on the machine. The results showed that the correlation coefficient of the standard curves of the four heavy metals was within 0.9961.000, and the detection limit was 0 mercury 0.028 g / kg, arsenic 0.062 g / kg, cadmium 0.14 g / kg, chromium 4.76 g / kg; the recovery was 80.2% 108.3% and 1.58% 26.34%; the test results of the standard samples were within the standard value. The method established in this experiment can determine the four heavy metals of mercury, arsenic, cadmium and chromium, etc. It has good linear correlation, low detection limit, good accuracy, high safety, simple operation, batch processing, and saves reagent consumables and detection time.

Porous interlocking assembly: performance-based dry masonry construction with digital stereotomy

Architected porosity in masonry structures can be created by transforming stock materials into a lattice of interlocking units through an automated batch process. Porous masonry forms numerous enclosed cavities for thermal performance and reduces material usage while maintaining structural integrity. This work investigates the potential and limits of digital tectonics of porous masonry through a complete process of design, manufacturing, and construction. The confluence of digital fabrication with tectonic exploration opens new dimensions unattainable by traditional stereotomy. Interlocking materials inspired by Abeille vault and digital stereotomy have made rapid progress. Following the theory of poetic construction, this work proposes that masonry construction should evoke visual or haptic enhancement through the fulfillment of pragmatic functions. We formulated a design challenge for a confined dry masonry wall for the envelope of the 2226 building. It assumes batch-cutting bespoke units out of large blocks of high-strength foam. Through a process of cutting and reassembling, the stock material is topologically expanded into a porous structure. A series of prototypes were developed to explore novel articulation, structural and thermal performance, and economical manufacturing. One can perceive the logic of porous construction through visual and haptic empathy. The materialization process interacts with the design masonry units and the interlocking mechanism. For future practice in masonry, the porosity should be planned at multiple scales (molecular scale, aggerate scale, construction scale) across the life cycle of the material.

Process optimization and economic evaluation of continuous multi-column capture for monoclonal antibody – A case study

In recent years, due to significant improvements achieved in upstream processing of monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing, the focus on productivity and cost-effectiveness has shifted towards downstream processing. Protein A affinity chromatography has been widely employed as the capture step for mAb purification and serves as a key driver of economic efficiency on downstream operations. To enhance the purification process and alleviate manufacturing constraints while reducing costs, continuous processing, such as multi-column capture (MCC), has gained attention. This study aimed to establish and optimize the protein A MCC process and to evaluate it with traditional single-column capture mode. Through a series of verification runs, it was determined that there was no significant difference in yield and quality attributes across different loops. Furthermore, annual cost of goods (COGs) was evaluated with the conventional single-column batch process. The results showed that MCC process reduced operation cost by 18 % and almost doubled productivity in the specific scenario.

An experimental batch study on separation of palm kernel and palm shell with salt solution

Abstract The effectiveness of the palm kernel separation process is of paramount significance, as it directly influences the quantity of palm kernels obtained. This efficiency forms the core of the decision-making process when considering how to best use palm kernel shells, which are a byproduct of the palm oil industry. These versatile shells have various applications, including their role as a fuel source, their use in producing activated carbon, and their utility as an alternative material in lightweight concrete. The primary aim of this investigation is to examine and enhance the efficiency of this innovative segregation technique, with a specific focus on identifying the optimal conditions for achieving effective segregation, particularly the ideal concentration of salt (NaCl) in a batch process. The research methodology comprises a wellstructured series of steps designed to systematically evaluate the segregation process. In the initial stages, samples of palm kernel and shell were collected from a local palm oil industry and meticulously prepared for experimentation. Subsequently, salt solutions with varying saturation percentage of salt solution beetwen 12 g/L and 380 g/L were prepared. As the samples were immersed in the solution, the denser palm kernel shells settled at the base, whereas the lighter palm kernels rised to the top, simplifying the separation of these two elements. The highest level of segregation efficiency was achieved at the 380 g/L of Consentration of salt solution. This suggested method offers advantages, including the capability to achieve a 100% separation of palm kernel and palm kernel shell.

Aspen Plus simulation analysis of hydrogen production from biomass pyrolysis integrated with steam methane reformer unit

Abstract As a Paris Agreement signatory committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Indonesia must shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy to reduce emissions and economic growth. Biomass, abundant in North Sumatra, particularly palm oil biomass, offers a potential solution. Biomass can be converted into hydrogen through a thermochemical pyrolysis integrated steam methane reformer (SMR). The Aspen Plus software simulates an integrated biomass pyrolysis system with an SMR unit in this study. Nickel oxide (NiO), used as a catalyst in the SMR unit, is particularly attractive due to its natural abundance and cost-effectiveness. With the batch process, the working pyrolysis temperature is 500°C and SMR is 450°C, respectively. For one process, feed pyrolysis and SMR are 6.54 kg of empty fruit bunch (EFB) palm oil biomass, and SMR supply with 1.515 kg of water vapor or the EFB/water vapor ratio are 81% and 19%, respectively. The above condition will produce 4.27 kg (53%) H2, 1.77 kg (22%) CO2, and 1.93 kg (24%) H2O. Overall, the integrated pyrolysis with SMR (steam methane reformer) for hydrogen production shows good conversion, where every 1 kg of EFB (Empty Fruit Bunches) produces 0.67 kg of hydrogen.

Production of Antioxidant Peptides from Snakehead Fish Using Batch and Continuous Enzymatic Hydrolysis

Bioactive peptides are promising functional ingredients. Due to its high protein content, snakehead fish (Channa striata) extract (SHFE) is one of the suitable parent proteins for bioactive peptides. This study aimed to investigate the production of SHFE-based antioxidative peptides in a conventional batch and continuous system facilitated by an enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR). The effects of different proteases (Alcalase, Neutrase), substrate concentrations, and enzyme-to-substrate ratios were investigated in the batch process. Continuous hydrolysis was then performed under the optimum conditions obtained from the batch process. The optimum conditions based on the antioxidant capacity measured by DPPH and FRAP assays were employing Alcalase with a substrate concentration [S] of 3% (w/v) and an enzyme-to-substrate ratio [E]/[S] of 10% (w/w). Continuous operation was shown to have been performed over a prolonged period, based on the calculated fouling rate. Furthermore, filtration of the resulting permeate with a smaller membrane pore size (2-kDa) increased the antioxidant capacity. This study is expected to increase the production of functional ingredients in snakehead fish.

On a bi-objective distributed permutation flow shop problem with batch processing machines

On a bi-objective distributed permutation flow shop problem with batch processing machines

Влияние износа инструмента в процессе физического моделирования шевингования-прикатывания цилиндрических зубчатых колес на параметр шероховатости

The main issues related to the results of an experimental study aimed at modeling of the combined (cutting-deforming) finishing process of a gear processing, i.e. cylindrical gear shaving and rolling, under turning with a special combined cutting-deforming tool, which is a single-tip tool of a cylindrical work, divided into equal working areas. Due to the proprietary exploratory procedure used for prototype process, in one operation of a compact cylindrical work, a gear processing of a sufficiently large batch of horisontal wheels-representatives with average parameters, consisting of several thousand pieces, is simulated on a CNC lathe. The analysis of the results of the experiment was treated, allowing us to obtain information about gear processing of a large batch of gears in laboratory conditions. The roughness parameter of the work on workpiece areas is determined, the boundaries of tool degradation for this parameter are revealed. The revealed pattern of tool degradation appears to be the following: the prevailing wear of the tool occurs along the back surface due to its design feature, i.e. zero angle of its back, aggravated by the technological characteristics of the process (shaving - rolling), in which the back is involved in the surface plastic deformation, in particular, crushing a metal layer under the influence of a significant normal load. This results in frictional load taking place between its back surface and the surface of the proccesed workpiece. Tool degradation along the front surface, accompanied by its tool cutter blunting of its cutting edge, contributes to further deterioration of cutting process conditions (when stock removal of about 0.02 mm), and at the same time increases the proportion of surface plastic deformation (when shaving– rolling). This, as a result, increases the workpiece material share, which should be removed not by cutting, but by surface plastic deformation, thereby further redoubling a wear bit in its back surface.

Batch Job Active-Active Resiliency System and Method

This manuscript presents a robust solution for orchestrating batch job workflows in an active-active resiliency mode across multiple regions. The proposed system abstracts the complexities of job and step/task state management, provides automated and customizable retries, and ensures auditability and observability. The system maintains operational continuity and fault tolerance, leveraging lock marker files and a configurable scheduler, even during regional failures. This approach addresses the challenges of asynchronous workflow management, offering enhanced visibility, control, and efficiency in processing batch jobs.

UBlade: Efficient Batch Processing for Uncertainty Graph Queries

The study of uncertain graphs is crucial in diverse fields, including but not limited to protein interaction analysis, viral marketing, and network reliability. Processing queries on uncertain graphs presents formidable challenges due to the vast probabilistic space they encapsulate. While existing systems employ batch processing to address these challenges, their performance is often compromised by the suboptimal selection of parallel graph traversal methods, the excessive costs in random number generation, and additional workloads intrinsic to batch processing. In this paper, we introduce uBlade, an efficient batch-processing framework for uncertain graph queries on multi-core CPUs. uBlade utilizes the work-efficient graph traversal, achieving superior parallelism in the batch processing model. Additionally, our Quasi-Sampling technique reduces the random number generation cost by a factor of B, with O(B) denoting the batch size. We further examine the extra workload resulting from batch processing and introduce an efficient strategy to reorder possible worlds, minimizing this associated overhead. Through comprehensive evaluations, we showcase that uBlade achieves up to two orders of magnitude speedups against the state-of-the-art CPU and GPU-based solutions.

Synthesis of N-vinylcarbazole from acetylene by a continuous high-pressure liquid-phase process with inherent safety

In this study, a continuous high-pressure liquid-phase acetylene microreaction process is rationally designed and successfully realized by employing the strategy of decoupling the acetylene dissolution and successive reaction. As the acetylene reaction is operated in a pure liquid phase with high acetylene concentration, the safety and efficiency of the acetylene conversion process are greatly improved. As a result, N-vinylcarbazole (NVC) is continuously synthesized from dissolved acetylene at 165 °C and 4.5 MPa. Compared to the conventional batch process, the reaction time is reduced to 5–20 min from 5 to 6 h, the amount of catalyst is reduced by 14.8 times, and the specific activity (g carbazole /g KOH /min) is increased by 220 times. To further increase the yield of NVC, 4-tert-butylcatechol (TBC) is added to the feedstock as a polymerization inhibitor, which improves the yield of NVC to 88 %. Several other vinyl compounds, in addition to NVC, are also continuously synthesized from acetylene using this method, which suggests that the process decoupling reaction strategy is widely applicable to acetylene-involved reactions.

Recent Advancements towards Sustainability in Rotomoulding.

Rotational moulding is a unique low-shear process used to manufacture hollow parts. The process is an excellent process method for batch processing, minimal waste and stress-free parts. However, the process has drawbacks such as long cycle times, gas dependency and a limited palette of materials relative to other process methods. This review aimed to shed light on the current state-of-the-art research contributing towards sustainability in rotational moulding. The scope of this review broadly assessed all areas of the process such as material development, process adaptations and development, modelling, simulation and contributions towards applications carving a more sustainable society. The PRISMA literature review method was adopted, finding that the majority of publications focus on material development, specifically on the use of waste, fillers, fibres and composites as a way to improve sustainability. Significant focus on biocomposites and natural fibres highlighted the strong research interest, while recyclate studies appeared to be less explored to date. Other research paths are process modification, modelling and simulation, motivated to increase energy efficiency, reduction in scrap and attempts to reduce cycle time with models. An emerging research interest in rotational moulding is the contribution towards the hydrogen economy, particularly type IV hydrogen vessels.

Optimization of heat management and utilization in batch processes

Batch plants boast operational flexibility in manufacturing process and resource sharing, making batch processes suitable to fluctuating-demand or small-scale production. However, given time dependence of operational behavior, batch processes are more demanding in energy integration than continuous processes, a task which is especially important amid the global net zero-emission current. It is, therefore, imperative to develop sustainable design strategies for intermittent processes. The study introduced a targeting method and developed an innovative over-time heat integration technique to optimize energy utilization in batch processes, involving use of heat transfer media for heat recovery over various time intervals and a heat makeup strategy to heat the media over different periods, in order to enhance heat-energy utilization efficiency. The technique is applicable to both fixed and unspecified batch schedules, the latter of which involves simultaneous design of production schedule and heat recovery systems, increasing flexibility and improving heat energy utilization. Case studies are conducted to demonstrate the proposed method. With the heat makeup technique, energy efficiency can be significantly enhanced, achieving energy savings of 51% and 93.1% in hot and cold utility, respectively. Meanwhile, the simultaneous design of production schedule and heat integration can boost savings up to 53% and 99%. Results have proven the benefits of the technique, including significant reduction of energy consumption and carbon emission, contributing to clean production, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

Simultaneous Spatiotemporal Bias Compensation and Data Fusion for Asynchronous Multisensor Systems

Bias estimation of sensors is an essential prerequisite for accurate data fusion. Neglect of temporal bias in general real systems prevents the existing algorithms from successful application. In this paper, both spatial and temporal biases in asynchronous multisensor systems are investigated and two novel methods for simultaneous spatiotemporal bias compensation and data fusion are presented. The general situation that the sensors sample at different times with different and varying periods is explored, and unknown time delays may exist between the time stamps and the true measurement times. Due to the time delays, the time stamp interval of the measurements from different sensors may be different from their true measurement interval, and the unknown difference between them is considered as the temporal bias and augmented into the state vector to be estimated. Multisensor measurements are collected in batch processing or sequential processing schemes to estimate the augmented state vector, results in two spatiotemporal bias compensation methods. In both processing schemes, the measurements are formulated as functions of both target states and spatiotemporal biases according to the time difference between the measurements and the states to be estimated. The Unscented Kalman Filter is used to handle the nonlinearity of the measurements and produce spatiotemporal bias and target state estimates simultaneously. The posterior Cramer-Rao lower bound (PCRLB) for spatiotemporal bias and state estimation is presented and simulations are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Non-identical parallel machines batch processing problem to minimize the makespan: Models and algorithms

This paper studies a parallel heterogeneous machine batching and scheduling problem in which weighted jobs are first batched, and the batches are then assigned and sequenced on machines of varying capacities. The duration of a batch is the longest time needed to process a job, and the objective is that of minimizing the makespan, or the sum of the batches durations on the machine finishing last. The authors develop polynomial-size mathematical formulations and a variable neighborhood search metaheuristic. Extensive computational results suggest that a flow-based formulation outperforms a compact formulation, despite its larger number of variables. The metaheuristic is capable of producing high-quality solutions within a limited computing time.

Optimization of batch process parameters for chromium (VI) removal from synthetic wastewater using eggshell–clay composite

In this study, a biodegradable spherical adsorbent bead was developed from eggshell (ES) and Bijoypur clay (BC) for the removal of hexavalent chromium from synthetic tannery wastewater. This Eggshell–Clay polymer composite (ES–BC) was made by incorporating them with PVA and alginate. To analyze the morphology and chemical composition of the adsorbent before and after the chromium adsorption, SEM, FTIR, XRD, and EDX were used. The impact of adsorption parameters such as adsorbent dosage (0.67–2.23 g/L), pH of the solution (1.5–9), contact time (10–240 min), initial Cr (VI) concentration (25–100 ppm), and solution temperature (25–65 °C), percentage clay in ES-BC adsorbent (0–40%) for Cr (VI) adsorption were investigated. The optimum value for adsorbent dosage, pH, contact time, initial Cr concentration, temperature, and clay to eggshell ratio was found 1.17 g/L, 1.5, 150 min, 58.2 ppm, 25 °C, and 80/20% respectively. The isotherm model was well-fitted to the Freundlich isotherm suggesting heterogeneous adsorption in multilayer on surface. The adsorption kinetics followed pseudo-second-order kinetics supporting the chemisorption process. Moreover, a decrease in enthalpy (H°) and negative Gibbs free energy (G°) with increased temperature indicated exothermic and spontaneous reaction. Therefore, this research investigated that the composite may serve as a viable option for treating Cr (VI) containing tannery effluent.

Inactivation of guanylate kinase in Bacillus sp. TL7-3 cultivated under an optimized ratio of carbon and nitrogen sources influenced GTP regeneration capability and sporulation

Bacillus sp. TL7-3 has potential as a dietary supplement to promote human and animal health. It produces spores that can survive in harsh environments. Thus, when supplemented with nutrients, these spores can withstand the acidic pH of the stomach and resume vegetative development in the gut when exposed to growth-promoting conditions. Spores are formed as a cellular defense mechanism when a culture experiences stress and process optimization to achieve high spore production in a typical batch process remains challenging. Existing literature on the manipulation of gene expression and enzyme activity during batch cultivation is limited. Studies on the growth patterns, morphological changes, and relevant gene expression have aided in enhancing spore production. The present study used the response surface methodology for medium optimization. The model suggested that yeast extract and NH4Cl were significant factors controlling spore production. A comparison between the high weight ratio of carbon and nitrogen (C:N) substrates (8.57:1) in the optimized and basal media (0.52:1) showed an 8.76-fold increase in the final spore concentration. The expression of major genes, including codY, spo0A, kinA, and spo0F, involved in the sporulation was compared when cultivating Bacillus sp. TL7-3 in media with varying C:N ratios. At high C:N ratios, spo0A, kinA, and spo0F were upregulated, whereas codY was downregulated. This led to decreased guanylate kinase activity, resulting in a low guanosine triphosphate concentration and inactivation of CodY, thereby reducing the repression of spo0A and CodY-repressed genes and stimulating sporulation.

Poly(aniline‐co‐pyrrole) as Adsorbent for Removal of Pharmaceuticals: Preparation, Characterization, Kinetics, Isotherms and Application on Sample Preparation

AbstractHerein, poly(aniline‐co‐pyrrole) has been synthetized and investigated to adsorb phenylbutazone (PBZ), ceftiofur (CEF) and prednisolone (PRD) in aqueous medium as proof of concept. After proper adsorbent characterization, some studies were carried out in batch process, i. e., contact time, pH, and concentration. The adsorption mechanism has been conducted using kinetic and isothermal models. It was found that the reaction equilibrium was reached in 20 min for all analytes. The best fit for the experimental data were obtained employing the models of dual‐site Langmuir–Freundlich, Fritz–Schlunder and Langmuir, with R2=0.999, 0.952 and 0.974, for PBZ, CEF and PRD, respectively. For PBZ, CEF and PRD, poly(aniline‐co‐pyrrole) provided a Qmax=238.8 mg g−1 and Kmax=0.086 L g−1, Q=0.028 mg g−1 and Kmax=3.258 L g−1, Q=13.66 mg g−1 and KL=0.005 L g−1, respectively. Finally, the copolymer was evaluated in solid phase extraction, which showed recovery around 70 % for PBZ, offering also exciting opportunities for further application in the separation process.

Synthesis of biofuel from Luffas cylindrical-Dennettia tripetala oil blend (BT40) using catalytic sweet corn stock acidified with iron (III) sulfate (Fe2(SO4)3)

In an attempt to model and optimize the biodiesel production from the binary oil blends, a BTO40 obtained from the mixture of Dennettia tripetala (DTO) and Luffas cylindrical (LCO) oilseeds was employed in a double-stage microwave-assisted batch process (DSMABP). The DTO40 was esterified with iron (III) sulfate (Fe2(SO4)3) and then transesterified with catalyst selectivity between calcined fermented sweet corn stock (CFCS) and calcined non-fermented sweet corn stock (CNFCS). Catalyst characterization was carried out using analyzers, while process modeling and optimization were carried out using statistical tools. The produced biodiesel qualities were evaluated, and the catalyst potential was tested by a catalyst reusability test. Results show that a BTO40 was suitable for maximum biodiesel yield of 98.92% (wt./wt.) with HHV of 43.84 MJ/kg, CN of 79.73, flash point of 120 °C, cloud point of -3 °C, pour point of -6 °C, cold filter plugging point of +2 °C, oxidative stability of 4.6 h, and carbon residue of 0.02% nm. The statistical modeling and optimization by RSMI-Optimal predicted a mean value of biodiesel to be 99.28% (wt./wt.), the ANNGA predicted a mean biodiesel yield of 99.78% (wt./wt.), and γGCFW predicted 99.82% (wt./wt.), respectively, at different variable conditions. These values were validated in triplicate, and the average means were obtained as 98.57% (wt./wt.), 99.69% (wt./wt.), and 99.71% (wt./wt.), respectively. Catalyst usability tests show DFSCS has high alkali potential as a base catalyst. The produced biodiesel properties are in total agreement with the recommended biodiesel standard. The study concluded that BTO40 treated with a 0.1 M Fe2(SO4)3 solution in a base-catalyzed calcined fermented sweet corn stock for biodiesel synthesis can be used as an alternative fuel.

Gábor Transform-Based Signal Isolation, Rapid Deconvolution, and Quantitation of Intact Protein Ions with Mass Spectrometry.

High-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) is a powerful technique for the characterization and quantitation of complex biological mixtures, with several applications including clinical monitoring and tissue imaging. However, these medical and pharmaceutical applications are pushing the analytical limits of modern HRMS techniques, requiring either further development in instrumentation or data processing methods. Here, we demonstrate new developments in the interactive Fourier-transform analysis for mass spectrometry (iFAMS) software including the first application of Gábor transform (GT) to protein quantitation. Newly added automation tools detect signals from minimal user input and apply thresholds for signal selection, deconvolution, and baseline correction to improve the objectivity and reproducibility of deconvolution. Additional tools were added to improve the deconvolution of highly complex or congested mass spectra and are demonstrated here for the first time. The "Gábor Slicer" enables the user to explore trends in the Gábor spectrogram with instantaneous ion mass estimates accurate to 10 Da. The charge adjuster allows for easy visual confirmation of accurate charge state assignments and quick adjustment if necessary. Deconvolution refinement utilizes a second GT of isotopically resolved data to remove common deconvolution artifacts. To assess the quality of deconvolution from iFAMS, several comparisons are made to deconvolutions using other algorithms such as UniDec and an implementation of MaxEnt in Agilent MassHunter BioConfirm. Lastly, the newly added batch processing and quantitation capabilities of iFAMS are demonstrated and compared to a common extracted ion chromatogram approach.