Chemical Production Facilities Research Articles

Оценка условий труда по химическому фактору при комбинированном воздействии вредных веществ

The variety of chemical compounds contained in complex mixtures and various chemical substances circulating in the workflow conditions potentially highly hazardous chemical impact on workers. Long-term studies indicate the need to take into account the combination of harmful substances with the summation effect when evaluating the chemical factor, which is often not conducted in practice. When assessing working conditions by chemical factors, various combinations of substances with potentially increasing impact on bodies of workers engaged in styrene production and thereby worsening the working conditions have been considered: with similar chemical structure and equal biological impact. During a shift at a workplace, the most common situation is when the excess of concentration of each of harmful substances in the air might not be registered, therefore, working conditions are assessed in such case as acceptable, which objectively does not reflect the potential risk of damage to health caused by chemical factor. It has been demonstrated that, when assessing working conditions by this factor, accounting for the combination of harmful substances of unidirectional impact and summation effect can significantly change the class of working conditions and increase the harmfulness by 1–2 levels. It has been established that with a greater amount of harmful substances contained in the air of the working area and a combined effect of exposure, the permissible limit of summation coefficient will be exceeded even at concentrations significantly lower than those established by standards. This will allow assessing working conditions by chemical factor as a class of greater harmfulness. The above-mentioned implies the need to account for the combined effect when establishing a class of working conditions in order to obtain the objective evaluation of hygienic situation at a chemical production facility.

Diagnostics of failures of technological equipment of chemical industries using artificial intelligence

The paper considers the problem of automated recognition of single emergencies in chemical and oil refining industries. Modern chemical and technological production facilities are maintained and managed by a small number of personnel, which increases the burden on each operator. To reduce the number of operator errors, their training is regularly conducted on simulators equipped with a set of both standard situations (routine start-up, shutdown, normal process management, switching from one mode to another) and emergency scenarios (column depressurization, pump failure, failure of the power supply system). Nevertheless, it is impossible to foresee all possible failures during operator training, and even a trained operator may not notice the first signs of an accident, and therefore it is necessary to create a decision support system that helps the operator to recognize failures of technological equipment in a timely manner. To recognize failures, it is proposed to use a neural network trained on an array of simulated accident data. An industrial simulator based on the RTsim platform was used to simulate typical accidents. The novelty of the research lies in the use of artificial intelligence methods to diagnose the property of the technological process according to the SCADA system and the use of data for training a neural network not from a real object (which will always be insufficient), but from a model that exactly corresponds to a specific technological site. The number of simulated scenarios used to train a neural network can be quite large, which reduces the proportion of erroneous system responses. The developed system confidently copes with the recognition of individual equipment failures. The results obtained can be used to help process operators and to improve emergency protection systems. The analysis of the time required by the system to recognize an emergency situation can be used to design new production facilities, modify the control and management system.

Multi-period optimization for the design and operation of a flexible power-to-methanol process

The increasing share of renewable resources in the context of energy transition scenarios requires new methodologies for the design and operation of chemical production facilities, which must adapt to the unsteady nature of their power supply. In this contribution, a highly flexible, fully electrified Power-to-Methanol process, supplied with unsteady wind power generated within the system boundaries, is designed by means of a large-scale NLP multi-period optimization for profit maximization. The problem is constrained by detailed models of interconnected units, feasibility conditions, and discretized power loads (periods) associated with their probability of occurrence. External power must be integrated into the plant to sustain feasible operations when the renewable input is not sufficiently available. Results show that the price at which the external power is purchased determines whether the resulting flexible-plant configuration is competitive with a comparable plant, optimized for steady-state operations ensured by large hydrogen or electricity buffers. Intermediate configurations represented by small buffers and semi-flexible operations constitute an important compromise for future applications of this novel approach.

Incorporation of phosphogypsum with cement in rigid Pavement: An approach towards sustainable development

Phosphogypsum is used in the chemical industry to produce phosphoric acid, a crucial ingredient in numerous types of fertilizers. To reduce environmental damage, numerous initiatives are seeking to include various types of solid waste in the concrete production process. Phosphogypsum, a by-product of an industry that is included in regular cement concrete, is the primary subject of this study. Phosphogypsum is a waste product from agricultural chemical and fertilizer production facilities. Phosphogypsum can be used as a partial replacement for cement in conventional concrete mixes, although its strength is diminished by the presence of impurities in the calcined material it contains. This experimental study suggests that phosphogypsum from industrial waste can be used as a cement substitute in concrete production. After 7 and 28 days, fresh and hardened concrete cubes of fresh concrete and hardened concrete were tested for compressive strength, flexural strength, water absorption, and workability, respectively. For the M25 design mix, a water-cement ratio of 0.45 was used, and phosphogypsum was added at 5 %, 7.5 %, 10 %, and 12.5 % to partially replace the cement. The most important result of this study is that maximum strength can be attained by replacing up to 10 % of the cement with phosphogypsum. The strength typically drops when more cement than this is utilized in the replacement.

Machine-learned digital phase switch for sustainable chemical production

Batch or semi-batch chemical reaction units often requires multiple operational phases to convert reactants to valuable products. In various chemical production facilities, the switching decision of such operational phases has to be confirmed and registered by the operating personnel. Imprecise switching of phases can waste a significant amount of time and energy for the reaction unit, which gives negative plant sustainability and costs. Additionally, automation for phase switching is rarely used due to the challenges of batch-to-batch variance, sensor instability, and various process uncertainties. Here, we demonstrate that by using a machine learning approach which includes optimized noise removal methods and a neural network (that was neural architecture searched), the real-time reaction completion could be precisely tracked (R2 > 0.98). Furthermore, we show that the latent space of the evolved neural network could be transferred from predicting reaction completion to classifying the reaction operational phase via optimal transfer learning. From the optimally transfer learned network, a novel phase switch index is proposed to act as a digital phase switch and is shown to be capable of reducing total reactor operation time, with the verification of an operator. These intelligent analytics was studied on a reactive distillation unit for a reaction of monomers and acids to polyester in the Netherlands. The combined analytics gave a potential of 5.4% reaction batch time saving, 10.6% reaction energy savings, and 10.5% carbon emissions reduction. For the operator, this method also saves up to 6 h during the end discharge of the reaction.

Утилизация попутного нефтяного газа в России: методы и перспективы производства продуктов газохимии.

From an economic point of view, the flaring of associated petroleum gas (APG) entails significant losses of a resource that can be usefully used. In addition, it has a negative impact on the environment. Russian oil and gas companies are actively engaged in the APG utilization, but the question of choosing the most effective and reasonable solutions for its useful use remains open. The purpose of the study is to analyze the known and used methods of APG utilization in the world, the level and directions of APG utilization by Russian oil and gas companies, as well as to assess the prospects for the development of APG deep processing projects based on Russian oil and gas companies to produce gas chemistry products. The general situation on the utilization of APG in Russia was considered, the study showed that the volume of flaring has been increasing in absolute terms over the past 5 years, due to the fact that companies do not have time to develop infrastructure for gas utilization, as well as with the growth of oil production in Russia. The analysis of the level and main trends of APG utilization by the largest Russian oil and gas companies was carried out, which showed that companies are already engaged in the development of the gas chemical segment, however, they often use simpler methods of utilization (injection of APG into the reservoir, generation of electricity, injection of APG into Unified Gas Supply System). The study of the gas chemistry market showed the prospects for growth in demand for gas chemistry products at least until 2030, which confirms the relevance of the development of this direction. For a complex assessment of the prospects for the creation of gas chemical production facilities on the basis of Russian oil and gas companies, a SWOT analysis was carried out, which helped to systematize ideas about the potential for the development of the gas chemical direction by oil and gas companies. Methods of statistical research, methods of comparative and causal analysis, strategic and managerial analysis, as well as the method of SWOT analysis were used to conduct the study.

The U.S. Bioeconomy: Charting a Course for a Resilient and Competitive Future

The U.S. Bioeconomy: Charting a Course for a Resilient and Competitive Future

Advanced Statistical Learning on Short Term Load Process Forecasting

Short Term Load Forecast (STLF) is necessary for effective scheduling, operation optimization trading, and decision-making for electricity consumers. Modern and efficient machine learning methods are recalled nowadays to manage complicated structural big datasets, which are characterized by having a nonlinear temporal dependence structure. We propose different statistical nonlinear models to manage these challenges of hard type datasets and forecast 15-min frequency electricity load up to 2-days ahead. We show that the Long-short Term Memory (LSTM) and the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) models applied to the production line of a chemical production facility outperform several other predictive models in terms of out-of-sample forecasting accuracy by the Diebold-Mariano (DM) test with several metrics. The predictive information is fundamental for the risk and production management of electricity consumers.

EPA requires chemical makers to cut ethylene oxide emissions

Chemical makers must curb ethylene oxide leaks, though not nearly as much as the US Environmental Protection Agency proposed last year. Chemical production facilities collectively will have to cut ...

Assessment of the Condition of Pipelines Using Convolutional Neural Networks

Pipelines are structural elements of many systems. For example, they are used in water supply and heat supply systems, in chemical production facilities, aircraft manufacturing, and in the oil and gas industry. Accidents in piping systems result in significant economic damage. An important factor for ensuring the reliability of energy transportation systems is the assessment of real technical conditions of pipelines. Methods for assessing the state of pipeline systems by their vibro-acoustic parameters are widely used today. Traditionally, the Fourier transform is used to process vibration signals. However, as a rule, the oscillations of the pipe-liquid system are non-linear and non-stationary. This reduces the reliability of devices based on the implementation of classical methods of analysis. The authors used neural network methods for the analysis of vibro-signals, which made it possible to increase the reliability of diagnosing pipeline systems. The present work considers a method of neural network analysis of amplitude-frequency measurements in pipelines to identify the presence of a defect and further clarify its variety.

Fuel Cell Based Power-Generating Installations: State of the Art and Future Prospects

Specific features of power-generating installations constructed using different types of fuel cells are considered. Problems and trends of their development in Russia and abroad are analyzed. Fuel cell commercialization lines, their application niches, and the most well-known projects of constructing and exploiting fuel cell-based power-generating installations are described. Special attention is paid to analyzing the specific features pertinent to the domestic market of fuel cells and prospects of different lines of their application taking into account competition from other energy sources. Conclusions about the most topical development lines of the considered technologies under the conditions of Russia are drawn with due regard to the available groundwork as well as technical and economic aspects. It is pointed out that the main application field of fuel cells in Russia may be distributed generation of electricity, including off-grid supply of power to consumers on the basis of network and liquefied natural gas, liquefied hydrocarbon gases, and also renewable energy sources. In this regard, installations involving combined generation of electricity and heat, including small ones with a capacity of a few tens or hundreds of kilowatts, are of special interest. Prospective market niches for using fuel cells may include pipeline cathodic protection stations, utilization of biogas obtained, e.g., in reprocessing domestic waste, emergency and uninterruptible power supply systems, propulsion power installations of air drones, auxiliary power installations with a capacity of 1–3 kW, and utilization of hydrogen rejected from chemical production facilities. In view of existing groundwork and cooperation, concentration of efforts aimed at developing solid oxide, solid polymeric, and alkaline fuel cells in Russia seems to be the most topical issue. The use of molten carbonate fuel cells may be of considerable practical interest for reclaiming landfill gas at solid domestic waste landfills and at aeration fields, a problem that is an issue for many cities in the country; such cells can also be used for concentrating and extracting CO2 from fuel gases.

PharmaBlock buys a Porton plant

PharmaBlock Sciences has bought a chemical production facility from Porton Pharma Solutions. Located in Shangyu, China, in the east coast province of Zhejiang, the facility can produce drug intermediates under Good Manufacturing Practices standards. Porton is currently not operating the facility, whereas PharmaBlock says it needs more capacity because some of the chemicals it has been supplying in research quantities to drug company scientists are needed in larger amounts. It plans to expand the plant soon after taking possession.

The Use of Lean Six Sigma Methodology in Increasing Capacity of a Chemical Production Facility at DSM.

Lean Six Sigma is an improvement method, combining Lean, which focuses on removing 'waste' from a process, with Six Sigma, which is a data-driven approach, making use of statistical tools. Traditionally it is used to improve the quality of products (reducing defects), or processes (reducing variability). However, it can also be used as a tool to increase the productivity or capacity of a production plant. The Lean Six Sigma methodology is therefore an important pillar of continuous improvement within DSM. In the example shown here a multistep batch process is improved, by analyzing the duration of the relevant process steps, and optimizing the procedures. Process steps were performed in parallel instead of sequential, and some steps were made shorter. The variability was reduced, giving the opportunity to make a tighter planning, and thereby reducing waiting times. Without any investment in new equipment or technical modifications, the productivity of the plant was improved by more than 20%; only by changing procedures and the programming of the process control system.

Implementing energy efficiency measures in industrial clusters - A design approach for site-wide heat recovery systems

Heat integration between chemical production facilities in an industrial cluster provides significant cost savings opportunities. While single chemical processes are often well integrated, site-wide heat integration based on Total Site Analysis (TSA) tools often identifies opportunities to further increase energy efficiency. However, further development of the TSA methodology is required to improve its applicability for identifying practical heat integration measures and providing key information for investment decision makers. The design of common site-wide heat recovery systems in an industrial cluster is a complex task in which a large number of aspects other than thermal process and utility flows must be considered. This paper presents a procedure for identifying site-wide heat recovery measures based on TSA. The proposed approach is illustrated for a chemical cluster located on the West Coast of Sweden, showing feasible site-wide heat recovery systems achieving up to 42 % of the maximum total site heat recovery target of 129 MW. A number of systems are suggested ranging from low complexity achieving a minor share of the heat recovery potential to complex, strongly interdependent systems demanding large investments and a high level of collaboration. Estimated pay-back periods for the proposed systems range from 3.2 to 4.2 years, while up to approx. 12 % of the cluster's CO2 emissions can be avoided.

What to Do After the Storm: Maintenance and Restoration Planning for Natural Disaster Recovery

Petroleum and chemical production facilities are often concentrated along coastal regions, where they are especially vulnerable to hurricanes or typhoons. Electric motors, switchgear, and related equipment are sensitive to damage from flooding, and replacements often have long lead times. This article offers practical methods for restoring electrical equipment as well as guidance for repair-replace decisions with a focus on getting the plant back in operation as soon as possible. It also offers advice about expected life reduction for electrical equipment that is not properly handled after such an event. Since similar production facilities are regionally concentrated, multiple facilities impacted by the same disaster will be competing for limited repair and replacement resources. Having a proactive recovery plan before a storm can significantly reduce the time required to restore production. Understanding the long-term effects of saltwater on electric motors and generators is vital to capital expense forecasting for the years following a major storm.

Determining the optimal nitrogen source for large-scale cultivation of filamentous cyanobacteria

As the world’s population continues to increase and the adverse effects of anthropomorphic CO2 intensify, it is becoming increasingly important to develop biofuels and chemicals from sustainable resources. Filamentous cyanobacteria, including Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, have emerged as a promising source of renewable chemicals and biofuels due to their minimal nutrient requirements and the relative ease with which they can be genetically engineered to produce a diversity of products. This study evaluated the effects of several nitrogen sources on the growth of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, and then performed an environmental comparative study on a theoretical large-scale production process to down-select to the best nitrogen source. Sodium nitrate and ammonium chloride yielded 65 % more growth compared to the other nitrogen sources evaluated. Ammonium chloride yielded marginal savings of US$22,318 annually, compared to sodium nitrate over a 27-year lifespan of a proposed chemical production facility utilizing filamentous cyanobacteria. Sodium nitrate had substantially greater negative impacts in every environmental category compared to ammonium chloride. For example, sodium nitrate had a ∼threefold greater negative impact in human health, ecosystem quality, and resources categories. Thus, we concluded that ammonium chloride is the preferred nitrogen source in large-scale processes involving filamentous cyanobacteria.

Evaluation of Polymer Compatibility with Bio-oil Produced from Thermochemical Conversion of Biomass

Large-scale production of transportation fuels and commodity chemicals through thermochemical conversion of biomass will require a better understanding of the appropriate materials of construction. Processes such as pyrolysis, solvent liquefaction, and hydrothermal processing produce oxygenated bio-oils that can damage materials commonly found in fuel and chemical production facilities. Recent investigations have examined the corrosive effects of these bio-oils on various kinds of steel, but very little effort has been given to determining their effect on polymers used for valve seats and standard gaskets. This project evaluated the performance of several common polymers used in process control equipment after exposure to a simulated thermochemical environment for 48 h. The performance of each polymer was determined by changes in its mass and cross-sectional area. An additional performance metric was the change in polymer hardness, as measured on the Shore durometer scale. All of the polymers tested exhib...

Natural recovery of soil and vegetation covers on industrial dumps

Within the boundaries of the industrial dump of a large chemical production facility, we investigated the state of the soils and vegetation for a set of parameters. The study identified several types of embryozems (initial, organic-accumulative, soddy, and humus-accumulative) which can be regarded as consecutive stages of technogenic soil formation. High alkalinity of the soils (pHwat.) of the dump was found to vary from 11‒13 in initial embryozem to 8‒9 in humus-accumulative embryozem, and a substantial imbalance of elements was detected in the soil absorption complex, which is due to considerable content levels of calcium carbonates. It is concluded that the technogenic dump involves the ongoing interconnected transformation of embryozems and vegetation, with a trend toward self-recovery of the disturbed territory.

Technical Challenges for Solution Mining and Salt Cavern Storage to Meet Future Energy and Minerals Demand, And Solution Mining Research Institute's (SMRI) Role

1. Introduction Salt deposits are numerous and found in most regions of the world. The best salt deposits for both salt production and cavern storage tend to be either the thickest bedded salt deposits or salt domes. Without getting into the geology, salt domes are formed as bedded salt is deeply buried and compacted by sediment. The less dense salt rises toward the surface to form massive plugs which can be several miles in diameter by 10 miles deep. Those familiar with U.S. Gulf Coast oil and gas geology know that the Gulf region has over 500 salt domes, many of which have produced oil and gas from traps on the flanks of the domes. Both bedded salt and salt domes are of quiet but great economic importance worldwide, supplying salt as basic feedstock to many chemical production facilities, winter road deicing, water treatment, and food processing. Figure 1 shows bedded and domal salt deposits in France.

Trophic magnification of chlorinated flame retardants and their dechlorinated analogs in a fresh water food web

Chlorinated flame retardants, particularly dechlorane plus (DP), were widely used in commercial applications and are ubiquitous in the environment. A total of seven species of aquatic organisms were collected concurrently from the region of a chemical production facility in Huai’an, China. DP and structurally related compounds including mirex, dechloranes 602, 603, 604, chlordene plus (CP), DP monoadduct (DPMA), and two dechlorinated breakdown products of DP, decachloropentacyclooctadecadiene (anti-Cl10-DP) and undecachloropentacyclooctadecadiene (anti-Cl11-DP), were detected in these aquatic organisms. Nitrogen stable isotope ratios were also measured to determine the trophic levels of the organisms. Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) for these chemicals were calculated with values ranging from 1.0 to 3.1. TMFs for CP, mirex, anti-DP, and ∑DP were statistically greater than 1, showing evidence of biomagnification in the food web. Concentration ratios of anti-Cl11-DP to anti-DP showed a significant relationship with trophic level, implying that anti-Cl11-DP had a higher food-web magnification potential than its precursor. The biota-sediment accumulation factors and TMFs for DP demonstrated stereoselectivity, with syn-DP having a greater bioaccumulation potential than anti-DP in the aquatic environment.