Current State Of Process Research Articles

On Energy Reconciliation Diagnose and Their Malfunction: A Proposal of Routes Corrections, Case of Study: Geothermal Power Cycle

In actual energy process in operation, the appearance of Malfunctions that affect the performance and efficiency of the system must be taken care of and evaluated. Previously, in this article, a method to evaluate Malfunctions in energy processes in operation has been presented/described. This method Consists of an evaluation of the current test state (AS) of an energy process and a comparison to a guaranteed reference state (on/off design) (RS), reconciling malfunction by malfunction from the AS to the RS. Moreover, derived from different observations of the scientific community related to the path of reconciliation and order to assess malfunctions. In this article, these are answered and an analysis is made comparative of the reconciliation to fixed demand of power and to fixed load of mass flow and it is possible to make a comparative of different models of reconciliation. Finally the route of correction of Malfunctions is proposed, based on the most habitual practice in the energetic processes, to be implemented in the energy diagnosis reconciliation models in general. The analysis and results are developed for a Rankine organic geothermal steam cycle.

Flexible reconfiguration of AVS/RS operations for improved integration with manufacturing processes

The improvements in connectivity and data availability enable to fully integrate all the components of a production system. Manufacturing processes are frequently reconfigured over time, due to changes in lot sizes, process parameters and product customization. Despite this, warehousing operations are often disregarded: usually, automation systems for warehouses are set-up during the installation and their management is hardly ever reviewed. As a consequence, the manufacturing process is adapted to the capabilities of the warehousing system, rather than the other way round. To overcome this issue, this paper aims to propose a method capable to support an easy reconfiguration of warehousing operations based on the current state of the manufacturing process. The method is applied to an Autonomous Vehicle Storage and Retrieval Systems (AVS/RS), one of the most recent and promising automation technologies for warehouses. The proposed approach is based on both discrete-event simulation and analytical techniques and is applied to a real case of an Italian company.

A Stochastic Spatio-Temporal Model of the Flow-Front Dynamics in a Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding Process

With more emphasis on the use of green energy, the size of the turbines and blades in the wind turbines is continuously increasing. With increasing blade size, the casting process becomes more complicated and the risk of faults increases. Production of such blades, made of fibre reinforced polymer composites, without the possibility of visual inspection of the infusion process calls for a sensor system (possibly virtual) for monitoring the process. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a stochastic spatio-temporal modelling approach to model the flow-front dynamics inside the vacuum assisted resin transfer moulding process, knowledge of which is essential for determining the current state of the infusion process.

Desertification of landscapes in low mountainous and plain sloping foothills of Kur depression

As the result of utilization of modern landscapes for various purpose in low mountainous and plain sloping foothills (39.7%) of Kur depression (4036644 hectares) some desertification factors and desertification holes occurred and the danger of degradation of landscapes has increased. In this regard, there is a great need to explore the current state of desertification in the area. The main objective of the research is to determine the current state of the desertification process, mapping and defining the landscape areas that are subject to desertification in Kur mountainous lowland. Route-sectoral, comparison, evaluation, statistical interpretation, satellite image decoding methods and ArcGis software were used during the research. Particularly semi-stratified research methods for the determination of desertification indicators, desertification types and desertification rates have played a speci-al role. The following key findings were obtained during the research: Based on ArcGIS statistical analysis of databases of large scale electronic desalination maps that we have compiled, the areas of desertification of landscapes for the total area and separated physical-geographical regions have been identified and quantitative indicators have been compared. 46.1% of the landscape complex of the study area was not affected by desertification in practice. Deserted complexes at various levels make up 53.9% of the total area. Geographical distribution of desertification territories in the area depends on the characteristics of natural and anthropogenic desertification factors and the structural-genetic characteristics of landscapes. Development of desertification in the region is largely caused by active natural exodynamic processes in semi-desert, dry-steppe, arid-sparse forests and bush. In the modern landscape of the study area, sometimes all categories of desertification are observed within a landscape unit. The scientific achievements of the research. - For the first time, the area of deserted landscapes has been identified by indicators of desertification in terrain landscapes and factors that led to the formation and development of desertification habitats. - It was determined that 11.5% of landscapes were slightly, 16.1% moderately and 26.3% severely deserted in the study area. - NDVI Index based on LANDSAT-8 satellite images (2017) of the area is determined during separation of desertification holes and degradation rates in landscapes. Practical implications. The results obtained in the research can be used in landscape planning, preparation of meliorative action plans, efficient use of natural resources and implementation of a number of agricultural and environmental projects.

Model Predictive Control of Simulated Moving Bed Chromatography for Binary and Pseudo-binary Separations: Simulation Study

Simulated moving bed (SMB) processes have been applied to petrochemical, pharmaceutical, and fine chemical industries to separate products in high purity and yield since it was introduced in 1960s. Owing to process complexity and operational sensitivity, the control and dynamic optimization of the SMB process are still challenging issues. In this work, a simplified process model with linear isotherms was introduced to estimate process states of conventional four-zone SMB chromatography. In a simulation study, a controller can estimate current process states and find the optimal operating conditions ‘switch by switch’ up to moderately nonlinear ranges of the competitive Langmuir isotherms. Furthermore, the controller works for the process with system void volumes and delayed feedback information.

Proposal the application of DMAIC tools and value stream mapping under the perspective of the lean philosophy for process improvement: a case study

After a recent merger, the in vitro diagnostic equipment trade company in Brazil, study object, faces difficulties for its logistics flow. The work proposes the application of the DMAIC tools, contained in the context of the six sigma, and Value Stream Mapping (VSM) under the lean philosophy perspective in order to identify the focus of waste that can be improved, corroborating with lean thinking. Unlike the common application of VSM, used in manufacturing processes, this study has its application in a service chain. From the Methodology point of view, the case study uses a qualitative approach, having as strategy the bibliographics with a descriptive and explanatory objective. Additionally, it is delineated based on the DMAIC cycle to establish the industrial overview and method of conducting the process study, and consequently, the influence on the management by the guidelines and their impact on the management of the work routine. Thus, the VSM application is presented to control the flow of distributed inventory parts with the current and future process state maps. Finally, the analyzes show the results obtained with the reduction of the waste, from the centralization of the company's inventory.

Photojournalism in Central Europe

Abstract The adoption of digital technologies, along with current economic realities, has affected the entire process of visual news production. It has also influenced the traditional concept of photojournalism. As a result, news photographers face multiple new challenges. Although visual news material is becoming ever more important, news organizations have cut back on employment, leaving those few who remain employed with additional workload and responsibilities. Based on interviews with photojournalists and photo editors, this article examines the current state of photojournalism and editorial processes in three Central European countries – the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Findings indicate that photojournalists and photo editors face ongoing developments in the photographic medium that significantly affect their working practices and routines. At the same time, they must deal with increasing workload, new responsibilities, competition and the challenges of maintaining quality in the digital age.

Hydrooligomerization of unsaturated hydrocarbons as a basis of new technologies for the production of motor fuel compounds

A brief analysis is performed for the current state of processes for the production of motor fuels based on the consecutive oligomerization and hydrogenation reactions of unsaturated hydrocarbons. Some new butene hydrooligomerization catalysts based on the bifunctional NiO/В2O3–Al2O3, PdO/В2O3–Al2O3, and MoO3/В2O3–Al2O3 systems are considered. It is shown that the best process performance parameters (a 67 wt % yield of liquid С5+ products at a butene conversion of more than 90%) are achieved with PdO/В2O3–Al2O3 catalyst prereduced in a hydrogen medium. The possibility of acetylene hydrooligomerization on NiO/B2O3–Al2O3 catalyst is demonstrated in principle. It is established that the presence of nickel(II) cations chemically bonded to the surface of a support is of fundamental importance for both acetylene hydrooligomerization and ethylene oligomerization.

Development of the temporal knowledge representation model for computer support of consumer goodd production processes at multi-nomenclature machine-building enterprise

The object of research is the processes associated with the organization of the production of consumer goods (CG) at the multi-nomenclature machine-building enterprise (MME). These processes are considered in the aspect of automating the production of consumer goods by creating a special model of knowledge about the current state of production processes. One of the most problematic issues is the complex automation of combined processes for the production of basic products and CGs at MMEs. The solution of this question required the improvement of the formal apparatus for modeling time dependencies. In the course of the research, discrete mathematics methods, in particular set theory and mathematical logic, are used, as well as tools that are known in knowledge engineering, in particular production systems.A temporal model of knowledge and technology is combined with the knowledge base of the decision support system. The peculiarity of this model is the possibility of adequate reflection of asynchrony and parallelism, which is inherent in the processes of CGs production at MMEs. The overall effect of the implementation of the developed model of knowledge will be achieved by reducing the incidence of disruptions in the production program, preserving the professional knowledge of experienced MME specialists in the production of consumer goods. In addition, the use of the temporal knowledge model as part of the intellectual core of the decision support system will ensure the reduction of the MME costs in the organization of production of consumer goods.

Improvement of Artistic Cast Production System

AbstractThe paper presents the technology and organization of the artistic cast production. On the basis of the actual cast production system, the manufacturing process was shown, in particular sand–piece moulding, which is a very important process and a time-consuming part of the entire manufacture of the casts. The current state of the production process as well as the organization of the work and production technology were analysed with the use of methods and techniques of production improvement, the Lean Manufacturing concept and computer systems. The results of the analysis and studies were shown with use of schemes and graphs of the layout of the production resources, a flow chart of the production process, value stream mapping, and a costs table for the production and modernization of the moulding stage. The work has shown that there are possibilities to improve the artistic cast production system. This improvement leads to increased productivity, lower production costs of artistic casts and increased competitiveness of the foundry.

Current State and Development of Land Degradation Processes Based on Soil Monitoring in Slovakia

Abstract Current state and development of land degradation processes based on soil monitoring system in Slovakia is evaluated in this contribution. Soil monitoring system in Slovakia is consistently running since 1993 year in 5-years repetitions. Soil monitoring network in Slovakia is constructed using ecological principle, taking into account all main soil types and subtypes, soil organic matter, climatic regions, emission regions, polluted and non-polluted regions as well as various land use. The result of soil monitoring network is 318 sites on agricultural land in Slovakia. Soil properties are evaluated according to the main threats to soil relating to European Commission recommendation for European soil monitoring performance as follows: soil erosion and compaction, soil acidification, decline in soil organic matter and soil contamination. The most significant change has been determined in physical degradation of soils. The physical degradation was especially manifested in compacted and the eroded soils. It was determined that about 39% of agricultural land is potentially affected by soil erosion in Slovakia. In addition, slight decline in soil organic matter indicates the serious facts on evaluation and extension of soil degradation processes during the last period in Slovakia. Soil contamination is without significant change for the time being. It means the soils contaminated before soil monitoring process this unfavourable state lasts also at present.

Object-process data model in management information systems

We have studied the question of data models creation with respect to the process-based management of industrial enterprise. It is proposed to use an object data model for management and operational management decision making systems at the process organization of industrial enterprise. We consider the basic concepts and definitions used in object-process data model, suggest its mathematical description, that includes tree representation of the system goals, object meta-models of production system, business process, the center responsible for resource. We have defined four phases of information system creation based on the object-process data model: goal tree description, metamodeling of objects and processes, data structure representation, data warehouse modeling of the production system. The goal tree is a hierarchical scorecard of the enterprise. Production objects are described by hierarchical structures and should meet requirements of the specified system of quality indicators for goods or services. The most important stage of material system metamodeling is to establish connections between objects, processes passing in it and indicators of the goals tree. The ultimate objective for metamodeling of the material system objects and processes should lie in the repository creation where one can get the structures of objects, processes, indicators and links on the basis of their unique identifiers. We have proposed a variant of object-process model application in integrated information systems based on the service-oriented architecture with the ability to take into account the goals of business, collect data on the current state of processes and organize data storage for retrospective data analysis tasks. The usage of object-process model during information system creation enables to combine two types of control: deviation control and management-by-objectives.

Self-piercing riveting-a review

Self-piercing riveting (SPR) is a cold mechanical joining process used to join two or more sheets of materials by driving a rivet piercing through the top sheet or the top and middle sheets and subsequently lock into the bottom sheet under the guidance of a suitable die. SPR is currently the main joining method for aluminium and mixed-material lightweight automotive structures. SPR was originated half century ago, but it only had significant progress in the last 25 years due to the requirement of joining lightweight materials, such as aluminium alloy structures, aluminium-steel structures and other mixed-material structures, from the automotive industry. Compared with other conventional joining methods, SPR has many advantages including no pre-drilled holes required, no fume, no spark and low noise, no surface treatment required, ability to join multi-layer materials and mixed materials and ability to produce joints with high static and fatigue strengths. In this paper, research investigations that have been conducted on self-piercing riveting will be extensively reviewed. The current state and development of SPR process is reviewed and the influence of the key process parameters on joint quality is discussed. The mechanical properties of SPR joints, the corrosion behaviour of SPR joints, the distortion of SPR joints and the simulation of SPR process and joint performance are reviewed. Developing reliable simulation methods for SPR process and joint performance to reduce the need of physical testing has been identified as one of the main challenges.

Stochastic-based placement template generator for analog IC layout-aware synthesis

In this paper, a methodology for automatic generation of placement templates for analog integrated circuit design targeted to state-of-the-art optimization-based layout-aware circuit-sizing flows, is proposed. The multi-objective optimization-based placement template generator inputs a Pareto set of sizing solutions and outputs a set of optimal sizing-independent non-slicing B*-tree floorplan representations, i.e., placement templates. Those templates fit the current state of the optimization process and are used within the layout-aware synthesis methodology to generate the floorplan of the following candidate solutions. This innovative methodology combines the advantages of template-based placement approaches, due to its fast packing, with the optimization-based ones, presenting floorplan solutions with improved compactability through the complete evolution of the Pareto set, completely eliminating the template setup effort. Moreover, as the placement template generator runs in parallel with the layout-aware loop, it has no impact on the overall execution time. Experimental results show that the proposed methodology outperforms state-of-the-art multi-template layout-aware synthesis approaches by achieving smaller placement areas for the same performances earlier in the optimization, and further, with a strongly reduced setup effort.

Integration Processes In The Global Economy: Current State And Prospects. The Cases Of The European Union, ASEAN Economic Community, And NAFTA

The aim of the paper is to determine the current state of the integration processes in the global economy and prognosticate on the foreseeable changes in this phenomenon in the upcoming. Will they be divergence from or continuity with the past trends in the global economy in this field? The article examines three regional integration groupings, i.e. the European Union, ASEAN Economic Community, and NAFTA. The analysis makes it possible to conclude that all of these groupings/organizations are encountering some problems. In the case of the EU, these are mainly: the two – speed integration process as far as a monetary union is concerned; serious negative consequences of the global financial crisis for the socio-economic cohesion of the EU-28; as well as a worsening position in the world trade in goods and services and in the total global gross capital inflows. The problems of the ASEAN Economic Community seem to be connected with some discrepancies between the political will in favour of deepening integration among member states and the real economic difficulties involved in attaining higher stages of integration among a group of countries extremely differentiated in their economic development. NAFTA’s problems also lie in the asymmetrical development between member states, as well as in the lessening importance of the integration within the organization for the member states, which results from the putting into effect numerous other FTAs. The growing openness of all the analyzed integration groupings, being in line with the globalization process, seems to be a future characteristic of integration processes in the global economy.

Fueling the future with biomass: Processes and pathways for a sustainable supply of hydrocarbon fuels and biogas.

Global economic growth, wealth and security rely upon the availability of cheap, mostly fossil-derived energy and chemical compounds. The replacement by sustainable resources is widely discussed. However, the current state of biotechnological processes usually restricts them to be used as a true alternative in terms of economic feasibility and even sustainability. Among the rare examples of bioprocesses applied for the energetic use of biomass are biogas and bioethanol production. Usually, these processes lack in efficiency and they cannot be operated without the support of legislation. Although they represent a first step towards a greater share of bio-based processes for energy provision, there is no doubt that tremendous improvements in strain and process development, feedstock and process flexibility as well as in the integration of these processes into broader supply and production networks, in this review called smart bioproduction grids, are required to make them economically attractive, robust enough, and wider acceptance by society. All this requires an interdisciplinary approach, which includes the use of residues in closed carbon cycles and issues concerning the process safety. This short review aims to depict some of the promising strategies to achieve an improved process performance as a basis for future application.

Sensor Location for Enhancing Fault Diagnosis

Multivariate statistical control techniques have been successfully applied to the detection and isolation of process faults. Because those strategies evaluate the current process state using the measurement values and the normal operation model, their performance is strongly influenced by the sensor network installed in the plant. Nevertheless, very few sensor location approaches have been presented to enhance faults isolation, and they do not guarantee that a fault can be distinguished from the other ones before its magnitude reaches a certain critical value. In this work a strategy for updating process instrumentation is presented that aims at detecting and isolating a given set of process failures using statistical monitoring procedures before the fault magnitudes exceed predefined threshold values. In this sense, fault isolation constraints are formulated and incorporated to the instrumentation update optimization problem. The proposed restrictions are expressed in terms of the variable contributions ...

An ontological model of the practice transformation process

Patient-centered medical home is defined as an approach for providing comprehensive primary care that facilitates partnerships between individual patients and their personal providers. The current state of the practice transformation process is ad hoc and no methodological basis exists for transforming a practice into a patient-centered medical home. Practices and hospitals somehow accomplish the transformation and send the transformation information to a certification agency, such as the National Committee for Quality Assurance, completely ignoring the development and maintenance of the processes that keep the medical home concept alive. Many recent studies point out that such a transformation is hard as it requires an ambitious whole-practice reengineering and redesign. As a result, the practices suffer change fatigue in getting the transformation done. In this paper, we focus on the complexities of the practice transformation process and present a robust ontological model for practice transformation. The objective of the model is to create an understanding of the practice transformation process in terms of key process areas and their activities. We describe how our ontology captures the knowledge of the practice transformation process, elicited from domain experts, and also discuss how, in the future, that knowledge could be diffused across stakeholders in a healthcare organization. Our research is the first effort in practice transformation process modeling. To build an ontological model for practice transformation, we adopt the Methontology approach. Based on the literature, we first identify the key process areas essential for a practice transformation process to achieve certification status. Next, we develop the practice transformation ontology by creating key activities and precedence relationships among the key process areas using process maturity concepts. At each step, we employ a panel of domain experts to verify the intermediate representations of the ontology. Finally, we implement a prototype of the practice transformation ontology using Protégé.

Superconductor digital electronics: Scalability and energy efficiency issues (Review Article)

Superconductor digital electronics using Josephson junctions as ultrafast switches and magnetic-flux encoding of information was proposed over 30 years ago as a sub-terahertz clock frequency alternative to semiconductor electronics based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors. Recently, interest in developing superconductor electronics has been renewed due to a search for energy saving solutions in applications related to high-performance computing. The current state of superconductor electronics and fabrication processes are reviewed in order to evaluate whether this electronics is scalable to a very large scale integration (VLSI) required to achieve computation complexities comparable to CMOS processors. A fully planarized process at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, perhaps the most advanced process developed so far for superconductor electronics, is used as an example. The process has nine superconducting layers: eight Nb wiring layers with the minimum feature size of 350 nm, and a thin superconducting layer for making compact high-kinetic-inductance bias inductors. All circuit layers are fully planarized using chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) of SiO2 interlayer dielectric. The physical limitations imposed on the circuit density by Josephson junctions, circuit inductors, shunt and bias resistors, etc., are discussed. Energy dissipation in superconducting circuits is also reviewed in order to estimate whether this technology, which requires cryogenic refrigeration, can be energy efficient. Fabrication process development required for increasing the density of superconductor digital circuits by a factor of ten and achieving densities above 107 Josephson junctions per cm2 is described.

Monitoring Volatile Fatty Acids and Carbonate Alkalinity in Anaerobic Digestion: Titration Methodologies

AbstractVolatile fatty acids and carbonate alkalinity have long been considered the key variables in most anaerobic digestion (AD) monitoring strategies as they not only reflect the current process status, but also mirror their response to incoming imbalances and provide an indication of the buffer capacity of digesters to process disturbance and imminent digester failure caused by sudden operational changes. Titration methods are generally acknowledged for routine monitoring and control of biogas plants due to their simplicity and cost‐effectiveness. Systematical evaluation and comparison of these methods have not been carried out in sufficient depth to date. Basic theories of titration methods, their development, influencing factors, and evolution during recent years are reviewed. This review may provide assistance for selection of the most appropriate titration method and in the development of new methods for stability monitoring in the AD processes.