Production Flow Research Articles

Effect of Blade Trimming Length on the Performance of Marine Centrifugal Pump

To study the hydrodynamic characteristics of blade trimming length in centrifugal pumps, Delayed Detached Eddy Simulation (DDES) with nonlinear eddy viscosity was utilized to conduct unsteady calculations on the centrifugal pump. A comprehensive examination of the fluid dynamic properties of the centrifugal pump, including external features, flow conditions, and pressure fluctuations, was carried out. By applying the theory of entropy production, the areas of high energy loss within the centrifugal pump were identified, and the correlations between local entropy production, energy loss, and unsteady flow in different areas with varying blade trimming lengths were analyzed. The results indicate that with the increase in blade trimming length, under rated flow conditions, the head decreases by 1.8%, 3.2%, and 5.7% for different blade trimming lengths, respectively, compared to normal impellers. Similarly, the efficiency decreases by 0.5%, 0.8%, and 1.0% for different blade trimming lengths, respectively. Similar trends were observed under other working conditions as well. As the degree of blade trimming increases, the irreversible losses after the failure of the centrifugal pump also increase significantly, indicating that the flow inside the centrifugal pump becomes disorder. Blade trimming leads to a disorderly fluid flow inside the centrifugal pump, causing an increase in the radial force during operation, which in turn leads to an increase in vibration amplitude and affects its operational stability. Blade trimming failure has a significant impact on the frequency and amplitude of pressure pulsation, resulting in abnormal pressure pulsation and abnormal vibration of the centrifugal pump. Therefore, early warning and diagnosis of blade trimming can be achieved through pressure pulsation monitoring.

Modeling and observer design of an inductive oven with continuous product flow

Modeling and observer design of an inductive oven with continuous product flow

Design and Simulation of Robot Gripper and Conveyor System for Workstations

Abstract: Intelligent manufacturing is going to boom in the upcoming years. The characteristic features of Industry 4.0 are fully automated production facilities where all processes are controlled in real-time and take into account the changing external conditions. The core of the Industry 4.0 is made up of digitalization and robotics, in particular, the use of collaborative robots and MES. MES (Manufacturing Execution System) is a specialized system designed to solve the problems of synchronization, coordination, analysis, and optimization of production. It involves the use of conveyor belts for rapid transportation of products. Industries where conveyor belt systems are excelling include automotive, computer, good, packaging, print finishing, bottling and canning, chemical, pharmaceutical, aerospace and food processing The safety conditions in fundamental industrial jobs are dangerous and harmful combined with ineffective manual work as a result of rising need for mass manufacturing. In industries, automation is the use of technology to jobs that were previously handled by humans. It is a potent instrument that can aid companies in enhancing quality, production, and efficiency. A typical type of mechanical handling equipment that transports things from one place to another is a conveyor system. These systems consist of conveyor belts that are designed to work seamlessly with robotic arms and other automated equipment. Increased automation and mass production rate reduces the lead time and increases the profit of a firm. The deployed robotic arms are immensely capable of handling various tasks with increased flexibility. Using a robotic arm with an end effector as a gripper to hold/pick and place the material from the conveyor belt improves the product flow process. The project comes with the NodeMCU firmware and an integrated Wi-Fi chip, the ESP8266 12E. To connect with the controller via a mobile phone, a web page would be constructed using HTML and coded using the Arduino IDE's C language. At either end of the conveyor belt, 2 robotic arms with 2 degrees of freedom (D.O.F.) would be placed. Using one arm to place the product on the belt and a second to pick it up at the other end. Also calculating the analytical data of the system that is involved in reallife industrial processes along with the simulation of entire system for the UR10 industrial robot, using the RoboDK simulation software. Through the usage of this system, productivity is boosted with improved safety of the working environment, become more effective, be more flexible, and have higher levels of job satisfaction

The Performance of Marketing and Distribution on Supply Chain of Rice in Merauke Regency, Papua, Indonesia

AbstractMerauke is projected to be the rice barn in Eastern part of Indonesia. Many programmes are implemented to improve rice production. This study was conducted to figure out the number of distribution channels for rice marketing, to find out the efficient rice marketing actor, to recognise the smooth flow of product, money, and information on distribution of rice supply chain. The study was carried out in Merauke, i.e., districts of Semangga and Tanah Miring. Rice traders were sampled using the snowball technique, the initial point of farmers with 239 respondents. The results showed that there were four distribution channels of rice in Merauke. The most efficient rice marketing actor was the rice mill selling its product to Bulog partners. The pattern of the distribution of rice supply chain describing the flow of product, money and information was basically smooth, however, there was an unsmooth part in details. Keywords:Distribution, Marketing, Rice, Supply Chain

Методичні засади оцінювання стійкості відтворювального розвитку агропродовольчих ринків

The article is developed methodical recommendations for evaluating the reproduction development of agro-food markets, which are a component of methodical provision of comprehensive evaluation of commodity markets on the basis of stability (resilience). Indicator systems for evaluating the dynamics of reproduction processes in the sectors of commodity markets, as well as the dynamics, structure and redistribution of added value in the markets, which included the author's indicators, were proposed, allowing to deepen the analysis of market reproduction processes in the sectoral dimension. On the basis of methodical recommendations, an empirical study of food security indicators of Ukraine, dynamics of export-import flows of agri-food products, sectoral and resource structure of gross added value was conducted, which made it possible to determine trends in the development of agri-food markets during the war period, as well as distinctive features of the instability of the economy.

Facility Layout optimization through Quality Function Deployment

The paper addresses the critical concern of facility layout planning and design, driven by the imperative to maximize space utilization, enhance product flow, minimize manufacturing costs, and boost employee satisfaction. Effective facility layout design emerges as a cornerstone for achieving these objectives, contributing significantly to a company's overall success. It aligns production processes with strategic goals, optimizing spatial resources and fostering a conducive work environment. A central focus of this research is the exploration of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) as a tool for facility layout design. The author investigates its applicability across different industries, offering insights into its adaptation for specific needs. Case studies spanning sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and education illustrate the versatility of QFD in addressing unique requirements. Ultimately, this study seeks to provide a generalized approach that can be readily tailored to meet the specific needs of any company, thereby advancing the field of facility layout planning and design.

Entropy generation analysis of non-miscible couple stress and Newtonian fluid in an inclined porous channel with variable flow properties: HAM Analysis

The aim of this study is to investigate the entropy production characteristics of two non-miscible fluids in an inclined porous channel with temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and viscosity. The porous region of the channel is divided in two regions. In region-1 and region-2, the Couple stress and Newtonian fluid take place due to constant pressure gradient, respectively, under the influence of a uniform magnetic field. Here, the Darcy–Brinkman model is used for the flow of immiscible fluid through the porous media. In this work, we used a semi-analytical method named as homotopy analysis method (HAM) to solve the coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The goal of the considered problem is to examine the consequences of a variety of thermophysical parameters, including Hartmann number, varying viscosity parameter, varying thermal conductivity parameters, and Grashof number on the characteristics of entropy generation, Bejan number distribution, thermal behavior and flow characteristics of non-miscible couple stress and Newtonian fluid passing through a porous channel. The novel aspect of this study is the formation of entropy and Bejan number as a result of non-miscible Newtonian and couple stress fluids with varying thermal conductivity and viscosity in porous media. In terms of rheological investigation, a semi-analytical simulation for changeable thermal and flow properties in an immiscible Newtonian and couple stress fluid via an inclined porous channel is a brand-new concept, and the behaviors of such flows have not been examined yet. From this study, it is concluded that on raising the variable thermal conductivity, Hartmann number and the permeability of the porous medium, the flow velocity, thermal characteristics and entropy generation number decrease. The authors also come to the significant conclusion that non-miscible Newtonian and couple stress fluids have larger entropy production numbers, flow velocities, and temperature profiles for higher values of Grashof number, variable viscosity parameter, and couple stress parameter. The findings of this work have also been graphically validated through the previously established work. The results of the present analysis can be used in petroleum industry, lubrication theory, etc.

How big is Big Data? A comprehensive survey of data production, storage, and streaming in science and industry.

The contemporary surge in data production is fueled by diverse factors, with contributions from numerous stakeholders across various sectors. Comparing the volumes at play among different big data entities is challenging due to the scarcity of publicly available data. This survey aims to offer a comprehensive perspective on the orders of magnitude involved in yearly data generation by some public and private leading organizations, using an array of online sources for estimation. These estimates are based on meaningful, individual data production metrics and plausible per-unit sizes. The primary objective is to offer insights into the comparative scales of major big data players, their sources, and data production flows, rather than striving for precise measurements or incorporating the latest updates. The results are succinctly conveyed through a visual representation of the relative data generation volumes across these entities.

Holistic integration of omics data reveals the drivers that shape the ecology of microbial meat spoilage scenarios.

The use of omics data for monitoring the microbial flow of fresh meat products along a production line and the development of spoilage prediction tools from these data is a promising but challenging task. In this context, we produced a large multivariate dataset (over 600 samples) obtained on the production lines of two similar types of fresh meat products (poultry and raw pork sausages). We describe a full analysis of this dataset in order to decipher how the spoilage microbial ecology of these two similar products may be shaped differently depending on production parameter characteristics. Our strategy involved a holistic approach to integrate unsupervised and supervised statistical methods on multivariate data (OTU-based microbial diversity; metabolomic data of volatile organic compounds; sensory measurements; growth parameters), and a specific selection of potential uncontrolled (initial microbiota composition) or controlled (packaging type; lactate concentration) drivers. Our results demonstrate that the initial microbiota, which is shown to be very different between poultry and pork sausages, has a major impact on the spoilage scenarios and on the effect that a downstream parameter such as packaging type has on the overall evolution of the microbial community. Depending on the process, we also show that specific actions on the pork meat (such as deboning and defatting) elicit specific food spoilers such as Dellaglioa algida, which becomes dominant during storage. Finally, ecological network reconstruction allowed us to map six different metabolic pathways involved in the production of volatile organic compounds involved in spoilage. We were able connect them to the different bacterial actors and to the influence of packaging type in an overall view. For instance, our results demonstrate a new role of Vibrionaceae in isopropanol production, and of Latilactobacillus fuchuensis and Lactococcus piscium in methanethiol/disylphide production. We also highlight a possible commensal behavior between Leuconostoc carnosum and Latilactobacillus curvatus around 2,3-butanediol metabolism. We conclude that our holistic approach combined with large-scale multi-omic data was a powerful strategy to prioritize the role of production parameters, already known in the literature, that shape the evolution and/or the implementation of different meat spoilage scenarios.

A framework for modelling and designing transparency systems: A case of a Vietnamese pork supply chain

The three major meat supply chains in emerging markets are traditional wet markets, integrated supply chains, and the more recent collaborative supply chains. Customers in these markets are increasingly demanding safe and high-quality meat, which requires more transparency in the supply chain. This paper presents a generic framework for modelling and designing transparency systems in meat supply chains, with special attention to the needs of emerging markets like Vietnam where all the three supply chain types co-exist. The framework consists of domain, product flow, business control, business process and transparency data models. The main novelty of the proposed framework is its complementarity to cross-industry reference architectures and generic traceability standards, and its stakeholder-centric approach. The framework is demonstrated in the three pork supply chain types that are also widely present in Vietnam and are representative of the pork supply chains of emerging markets in general. The applicability of the framework is described in detail in a case study of a collaborative supply chain of independent members, which is one of the three pork supply chain types. The case study is selected for detailed analysis because the members work closely together to provide safe and traceable pork meat to consumers.

Flexible fuzzy-robust optimization method in closed-loop supply chain network problem modeling for the engine oil industry

This study models a closed loop supply chain network for the Iranian engine oil market. The primary goal of the created model is to summarize tactical choices like choosing the best degree of discount and allocating the best flow of products across facilities as well as strategic decisions like selecting a supplier and finding new facilities. The three aim functions of reducing overall expenses, optimizing employment rate, and limiting unrealized demand are considered. The novel flexible fuzzy robust optimization approach also controls the uncertainty parameters and the meta-heuristics algorithm for solving the model. This investigation showed that the network's overall transportation and operational expenses have risen as the rate of uncertainty and dependability has grown. MOGWO was chosen as an effective algorithm and employed in solving numerical examples of more significant size after the final examination of comparison indices between solution techniques (case study). According to the findings of a case study, the four oil businesses, Behran, Sepahan, Iranol, and Pars, were chosen as the best production hubs since they can generate 514 million liters of engine oil annually. As a consequence, building the network cost a total of 434321010 million Rials, required the employment of more than 37 thousand individuals, and left 90 million liters of fuel short.

Forced convective flows of Casson hybrid nanofluid and entropy production over diverging channel with variable thermophysical properties

The heat transfer occurring on boundary layer flows during dilute suspension of Cu–Al2O3 nanoparticles-based non-Newtonian Casson hybrid nanofluid over diverging channel is to be characterized in this model. The governing equations comprise continuity, momentum, energy and concentration equations which incorporated variable viscosity and magnetic effects in the momentum equation, variable thermal conductivity, chemical reaction, thermal radiative heat flux, uniform magnetic field, Joule heating and viscous dissipative effects in the energy equation and Brownian motion and thermophoretic effects in the concentration equation. The modeled equations are nondimensionalized using nonsimilar variables and linearized using quasilinearization technique. The system of linearized partial differential equations is solved numerically using implicit finite difference and successively iterated with the help of Varga’s algorithm. The physical impacts of viscous dissipation parameter (Ec), Brownian motion ([Formula: see text]) on velocity, temperature, concentration and Schmidt number (Sc) influences on skin friction, Nusselt number, Sherwood number profiles, Bejan lines and total entropy production profiles are simulated graphically. The velocity profiles are enhanced and the temperature profile declines for augmented values of Eckert number. Moreover, for augmented values of Schmidt number the heat and mass transfer rates are enhanced and the Bejan lines dropped a decreasing trend whereas total entropy production is augmented near the wall region. The improved values of the Schmidt number physically increased Sc in the heat transfer rate. The ascending profile of the mass transfer rate with increased values of the viscous dissipation parameter Ec demonstrated that the graph is raised for larger values of the viscous dissipating parameter (Ec). The physical behavior of incremental mass transfer rate led to the conclusion that the relative diffusivity of nanoparticles is characterized by both nondimensional numbers Ec and Sc which are directly proportional to the viscous forces.

Technological adequacy of sugar beet products used in the food industry

Beet sugar production in Russia annually gives about 6 million tons of white sugar and 1.5 million tons of beet molasses, which must have technological adequacy, when used as raw materials. The purpose of the work was to substantiate the concept of technological adequacy of beet sugar production, its indicator markers and their threshold values, to assess the actual technological adequacy of white sugar and molasses, to verify the hypothesis about the relationship between individual indicators of white sugar and empirical knowledge about an increase in the content of micronutrients with a decrease in the category. The objects of the study were terminology related to the characteristics of food products and raw materials in terms of consumer expectations and indicators of their assessment. Technological adequacy was evaluated for 230 samples of white sugar and 134 samples of beet molasses. Indicator markers were determined according to standardized and known methods. Technological adequacy of white sugar and beet molasses is the compliance of their specific functional properties with the requirements of the production of a particular food product, in which they are raw ingredients. A measure of compliance is indicator markers in the form of physicochemical parameters of the composition. Indicators of white sugar for three food technologies and indicators of beet molasses for two technologies and storage were substantiated; their technological adequacy was assessed. Empirical knowledge about an increase in the content of micronutrients with a decrease in the category and the hypothesis about the relationship between individual indicators of white sugar were confirmed. It is shown that all white sugar of extra and TC1 categories has technological adequacy for the use in food production, while only 62% of TC2 sugar and some batches of beet molasses have the necessary technological suitability. The results obtained will be a tool for regulating the production of competitive products and developing a control scheme for the technological flow of sugar production.

Exergy Analysis of a Sugarcane Crop: A Planting-to-Harvest Approach

The objective of this study was to conduct an exergy analysis of sun–plant interactions in sugarcane using mathematical models, aiming to estimate plant production and exergy flows and describe their photosynthetic efficiency during sugarcane cultivation. Sugarcane productivity was determined based on the Brazilian BRCANE model. The efficiency of this crop was evaluated through a simple control volume, where the exergy of solar radiation serves as the sole energy input, and the exergy of the culms and straw represents the useful exergy. The findings revealed an average second-law efficiency of 5% for sugarcane photosynthesis production from solar radiation, with an estimated harvest of approximately 16.29 kWh/m2 of useful extended exergy after a year, and an estimated water consumption of 111.2 m3/ton of harvested stalks. Moreover, this study highlights that exergy efficiency varies significantly in response to seasonal changes. The method developed here can be utilized in future studies to estimate mass and energetic flows and exergy analyses.

The photon production and collective flows from magnetic induced gluon fusion and splitting in early stage of high energy nuclear collision

We present an event-by-event study of photon production in early stage of high energy nuclear collisions, where the system is dominant by highly occupied of gluons and initialized by McLerran-Venugopalan model. The photons are produced through the gluon fusion and splitting processes when strong magnetic field is included. We study the spectra and collective flows of the photons and show their dependence on transverse momentum qT. It is found that in our approach the photons from boost invariant evolving glasma provide visible enhancement on spectrum and obvious contribution on v2 of the total direct photons. The results, by weighting on top of parton-hadron-string dynamics (PHSD) model, agree even better with experiment measurements in Au-Au 20%-40% centrality collisions at sNN=200 GeV.

Procurement Sustainability Policy and Logistics Performance in Nigeria.

This study investigated the procurement sustainable policy and logistics performance in Nigeria. The study adopted analytical cross sectional design and correlation design. Randomized quota of business owners from ten selected logistics on basis of accidental sampling technique and quota sampling method was utilized for the study. A total population of 400 and sample size of 200 was determined using Slovin's Formula at 0.05 level of significance. The 200 copies of questionnaire were administered, only 196 was deem fit after processing, retriever, coding and cleansing. The Parallel reliability was used to determine the consistency of the instrument that results to 95.50 (0.955). Two research questions and two hypotheses were raised which was tested with parametric measurement using Pearson Product Moment Correlation because of its monotonic function via SPSS 25 version. From the findings, procurement sustainability initiatives concept strongly correlates with the logistic performance proxies. Hence, sustainability policy significantly facilitates the effectiveness and efficiency of process optimization and capacity management. Hence, it was revealed that the alternate hypotheses were accepted. Based on the findings and conclusion, this study contributes to the knowledge that policy sustainability facilitates logistic performance. It could be recommended that management of logistics firms should adopt sustainability policy initiatives to enhance process optimization and capacity management. Logistics should involve the flows of products, services and information via process optimization and capacity management.

Supply chain analysis of cocoa seeds in Narmada, West Lombok, Indonesia

The aims of this study are to: (1) analyze the cocoa bean supply chain network in Narmada District, West Lombok, NTB; (2) Analyze the performance of the cocoa bean supply chain in Narmada District, West Lombok. The research used a descriptive method, while the data collection was carried out using a survey technique, the data was analyzed descriptively using the Food Supply Chain Network (FSCN) and Supply Chain Operating Reference (SCOR) analysis framework. The results showed that: (1) The cocoa bean supply chain network in Narmada District, West Lombok NTB, namely: (a) The ultimate goal of the cocoa bean supply chain is within and outside the island of Lombok (Bali and Java), while the development objectives are to pay attention to the level of content, the cut of one of the actors in the supply chain and the uniformity of prices; (b) Supply chain management is about selecting partners that are determined based on factors such as proximity of location, size of purchasing scale, and ease of trade of cocoa beans. The agreements that occur between links are made informally (orally) with cash transactions. Lack of government assistance for cocoa bean supply chain actors; (c) The supply chain structure includes 2 channels, namely channel I (farmers, village collectors, village collectors’ traders, sub-district collectors, wholesalers, inter-island traders) and channel II (farmers, village collectors, wholesalers, off-island traders) Lombok) where each supply chain has a different role. The supply of cocoa beans from the Lombok Island region has not been able to meet the demands of the processing industry; (d) Supply chain resources consist of different physical resources for each member of the chain according to the activities they perform, technological resources still use simple equipment, human resources use labor within and outside the family and capital resources are still limited by the use of own capital and loans; (e) The supply chain business process consists of 3 flows, namely product flows, funds flows and information flows, which are distributed evenly and smoothly. The risks faced by each link in the chain are related to price fluctuations, production damage and market congestion, and the way to build trust is to seamlessly communicate and sell to the same players. (2) The performance of the cocoa bean supply chain, which is in a superior position that must be maintained, namely perfect order fulfilment, delivery performance and asset management (channels I and II), supply cycle order fulfilment and flexibility. The performance that must be improved again to a higher position is the order fulfilment cycle (parity) and flexibility (advantage) in channel II, with the costs incurred by channel I being greater than those of channel II.

Vaccine supply chain network design by considering viability, robustness and risk

This study aims to develop a solution for the Viable Vaccine Supply Chain Network Design (VVSCND) problem, which concurrently addresses multiple factors such as sustainability, resiliency, agility, risk, and robustness. To achieve this, the researchers propose a Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model based on a Robust Stochastic Programming (RSP) approach, which minimizes the weighted expected and max cost function. Furthermore, the research considers factors such as limiting CO2 emissions, introducing flexible capacity, and ensuring the reliability and redundancy of facilities to establish a more agile and environmentally sustainable supply chain. The key decisions in the proposed methodology involve determining facility location and product flow within an efficient healthcare system. According to the findings, the cost function of the VVSCND problem was only marginally higher, by 0.04%, than its counterpart in a VSCND that did not consider any risks or worst-case scenarios. However, increasing the conservatism coefficient or agility coefficient by 50% and 10%, respectively, leads to similar increases in the cost function. Similarly, the resiliency coefficient has a direct relationship with the cost function. Overall, the study demonstrates that an optimal VSCND can be achieved by considering multiple factors through RSP-based MILP modeling.

Reduction degree of substrate influences electron flow and feedback inhibition in ethanol-type fermentative hydrogen production

Reduction degree of substrate influences electron flow and feedback inhibition in ethanol-type fermentative hydrogen production

Coherent Spatial Variations in the Productivity of Earthquake Sequences in California and Nevada

Abstract Earthquakes are clustered in space and time, with individual sequences composed of events linked by stress transfer and triggering mechanisms. On a global scale, variations in the productivity of earthquake sequences—a normalized measure of the number of triggered events—have been observed and associated with regional variations in tectonic setting. Here, we focus on resolving systematic variations in the productivity of crustal earthquake sequences in California and Nevada—the two most seismically active states in the western United States. We apply a well-tested nearest-neighbor algorithm to automatically extract earthquake sequence statistics from a unified 40 yr compilation of regional earthquake catalogs that is complete to M ∼ 2.5. We then compare earthquake sequence productivity to geophysical parameters that may influence earthquake processes, including heat flow, temperature at seismogenic depth, complexity of quaternary faulting, geodetic strain rates, depth to crystalline basement, and faulting style. We observe coherent spatial variations in sequence productivity, with higher values in the Walker Lane of eastern California and Nevada than along the San Andreas fault system in western California. The results illuminate significant correlations between productivity and heat flow, temperature, and faulting that contribute to the understanding and ability to forecast crustal earthquake sequences in the area.