Processes

This study investigated the sealing performance of the multistage liquid-sealing impellers of a turbopump. To achieve this purpose, the influence of each structural parameter in the impeller on the pressurization coefficient φ² and the leakage flow rate Q was analyzed based on response surface methodology, taking the maximum pressurization coefficient φ² and the minimum leakage flow rate Q as the optimization objectives. We obtained satisfactory ranges for parameters φ² and Q. A set of parameter combinations was selected as the optimization scheme using the Box–Behnken method for the optimal solution design. The numerical simulation results show that to keep φ² and Q in the better range, the value ranges of groove width b, groove depth h and groove number z should be (12.8–14 mm), (4.5–5.6 mm) and (23.5–28), respectively. Compared with the original model, the optimized version has an average increase of about 2.5% in pressurization coefficient φ² at each rotation speed, an average of about 8.2% reduction in the leakage flow rate Q in the leakage state and an average increase in the reverse flow rate Q by about 6.7% in the negative pressure sealing state, indicating better sealing. By comparing pressure data at the experimental monitoring points, the proposed method was verified to have a high degree of confidence. Full article

Currently, practical optimisation models and intelligent solution algorithms for solving disassembly sequence planning are attracting more and more attention. Based on the importance of energy efficiency in product disassembly and the trend toward green remanufacturing, this paper proposes a new optimisation model for the energy-efficient disassembly sequence planning. The minimum energy consumption is used as the evaluation criterion for disassembly efficiency, so as to minimise the energy consumption during the dismantling process. As the proposed model is a complex optimization problem, called NP-hard, this study develops a new extension of the whale optimisation algorithm to allow it to solve discrete problems. The whale optimisation algorithm is a recently developed and successful meta-heuristic algorithm inspired by the behaviour of whales rounding up their prey. We have improved the whale optimisation algorithm for predation behaviour and added a local search strategy to improve its performance. The proposed algorithm is validated with a worm reducer example and compared with other state-of-the-art and recent metaheuristics. Finally, the results confirm the high solution quality and efficiency of the proposed improved whale algorithm. Full article

Herein, we report the synthesis of new hybrid molecules between furan and N-containing heterocyclic compounds such as pyrrolidine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, and piperidine. The obtained compounds were fully characterized using ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, UV-Vis, and HRMS spectra. All compounds were assessed for their anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, reducing power ability, and chelating activity. The less lipophilic molecules H2 (60.1 ± 8.16) and H4 (62.23 ± 0.83) had almost 12 times higher ATA compared with the used ketoprofen (720.57 ± 19.78) standard. The inhibition of albumin denaturation results makes the newly obtained hybrids potential anti-inflammatory drugs, as the expressed values are higher than the ketoprofen standard (126.58 ± 5.00), except H3 (150.99 ± 1.16). All four compounds show significant activity regarding the in vitro biological activities, which makes them great candidates for potential future drugs. Full article

As time passes, scale builds up inside the pipelines that deliver the oil or gas product from the source to processing plants or storage tanks, reducing the inside diameter and ultimately wasting energy and reducing efficiency. A non-invasive system based on gamma-ray attenuation is one of the most accurate diagnostic methods to detect volumetric percentages in different conditions. A system including two NaI detectors and dual-energy gamma sources (²⁴¹Am and ¹³³Ba radioisotopes) is the recommended requirement for modeling a volume-percentage detection system using Monte Carlo N particle (MCNP) simulations. Oil, water, and gas form a three-phase flow in a stratified-flow regime in different volume percentages, which flows inside a scaled pipe with different thicknesses. Gamma rays are emitted from one side, and photons are absorbed from the other side of the pipe by two scintillator detectors, and finally, three features with the names of the count under Photopeaks ²⁴¹Am and ¹³³Ba of the first detector and the total count of the second detector were obtained. By designing two MLP neural networks with said inputs, the volumetric percentages can be predicted with an RMSE of less than 1.48 independent of scale thickness. This low error value guarantees the effectiveness of the intended method and the usefulness of using this approach in the petroleum and petrochemical industries. Full article

From the outset of the war in Ukraine, extensive crises in many sectors of the world economy have occurred, with firms offering services and products both online and through physical stores facing serious problems. These problems are mainly related to higher operational costs and the lack of website visibility. For this research study, centralized payment network organizations (CPNs), firms providing online payment services through their networks, were selected and analytical data from their websites were collected for a period of 6 months. The main focus of this research study is to evaluate benefits and the role of social media strategies for CPNs’ digital marketing performance during crisis events and to also assess their utility as a risk-management tool. Following data collection, the authors performed statistical processes (regression and correlation analysis) and stationary modeling with Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) tools; finally, dynamic simulations were performed by utilizing Agent-Based Models (ABM). The authors suggest that various variables of CPNs’ social media platforms can aid in improving their digital marketing performance and, using proper analysis, can lead to higher user social engagement, thus rendering social media strategy a useful risk-management tool. Full article

The contaminated site is considered a high-risk pollution source due to the accumulation of industrial waste and wastewater, which affects the soil and groundwater environment. In this study, through soil and groundwater investigation, we outlined the characteristics of heavy metal contamination in the soil and groundwater of the contaminated site, assessed the health risk of the contaminated site to humans, and established a numerical model to predict the ecological and environmental risks of the site. The results of the study showed that the maximum contamination concentration of pollutants (lead, arsenic, cadmium) in the soil all exceeded the Chinese environmental standard (GB36600-2018, Grade II), that the maximum contamination concentration (cadmium, Cd) of the groundwater exceeded the Chinese environmental standard (GB14848–2017, Grade IV), and that the heavy metal pollution was mainly concentrated in the production area of the site and the waste-residue stockpiles. The total carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic hazard quotient of the site's soil heavy metal contaminants exceed the human acceptable limit, and there is a human health risk. However, the groundwater in the area where the site is located is prohibited from exploitation, and there is no volatility of the contaminants and no exposure pathway to the groundwater, so there is no risk to human health. The simulation prediction results show that, with the passage of time, the site groundwater pollutants as a whole migrate from south to north, affecting the northern surface water bodies after about 12 years, and there is a high ecological and environmental risk. The above findings provide a scientific basis for the study of the soil and groundwater at the riverside contaminated site. Full article

The proportion of the coal and rock masses in different areas of surrounding rocks is quite different when a large-section coal roadway is excavated in gently inclined soft coal seams. Different creep failure occurs in coal and rock masses under high stress, which results in uneven deformations of roadways and difficulties in maintenance. This work studied the belt grooves of the 2103 working face in the lower coal group of the Wulihou Coal Mine. Theoretical analysis and measured geomechanical evaluation were used to analyze the failure causes of the surrounding rocks of the roadway. The failure law of large-section roadways in the gently inclined soft coal seams was studied using finite-difference numerical simulation software. Combined with the results of mathematical analysis, surrounding rocks were divided into regions. Surrounding-rock control schemes for different areas, such as grouting reinforcement, strengthening support, and pressure-relief grooving, were proposed separately and verified by numerical simulations. Strengthening the supports could reduce the deformations of area I, and pressure-relief grooving could control the deformations of area IV. The roadway and support system formed an anchored composite supporting body after grouting reinforcement, which greatly improved the bearing capacity and controlled the deformations of surrounding rocks. The fine on-site application effect and the improved non-symmetrical deformation verified the theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and control technologies. The results provide a scientific basis and useful reference for similar projects. Full article

Methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) is a highly valuable product in the chemical industry. It is widely used as an extracting agent for heavy metals, antibiotics, and lubricating oils. Generally, MIBK can be produced by three-step and one-step liquid-phase methods. These methods are expensive and energy-demanding due to the high pressure and low conversion of acetone. A novel nano-Pd/nano-ZnCr₂O₄ catalyst was developed to produce MIBK with high conversion and selectivity of 77.3% and 72.1%, respectively, at 350 °C and ambient pressure, eliminating the need for high pressure in conventional MIBK processes. This study is the first that proposes a newly developed process of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) production using the low-pressure one-step gas-phase selective dehydrogenation of acetone. In this work, a novel process flow diagram has been developed for the production of MIBK using the developed nano-catalyst. The process was heat integrated, resulting in a 26% and a 19.5% reduction in the heating and cooling utilities, respectively, leading to a 12.6% reduction in the total energy demand. An economic analysis was performed to determine the economic feasibility of the developed process, which shows that the process is highly profitable, in which it reduced both the capital and operating costs of MIBK synthesis and showed a return on investment (ROI) of 29.6% with a payback period of 2.2 years. It was found that the ROI could be increased by 18% when the reactor temperature is increased to 350 °C. In addition, the economic sensitivity analysis showed that the process is highly sensitive to product prices and least sensitive to utility prices, which is due to the versatility of the process that requires only a low amount of energy. Full article

Anthocyanins are polyphenolic plant pigments associated with antioxidant and health-promoting properties. However, their application in the food industry is limited due to their poor stability. The purpose of this study was to encapsulate anthocyanin-rich bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) extract by freeze-drying and to investigate the effects of different wall materials and extract contents on the physicochemical and bioactive properties of the obtained encapsulates. Ethanolic bilberry extract was encapsulated with the use of maltodextrin (16.5–19.5 DE) (MD), gum Arabic (GA), and their combination in a 1:1 w/w ratio (MIX). Bilberry solids to wall material ratios were examined at 20:80, 30:70, and 40:60. All encapsulates showed an attractive red colour and low water activity values (a_w ≤ 0.3) that indicated a low risk of microbial spoilage. In general, the biggest losses of total phenolic compounds and anthocyanins during three-week storage in the dark and at room temperature (20 ± 2 °C) were detected in the case of encapsulates with a higher content of bilberry extract (MIX30 and MIX40, and GA30 and GA40, respectively). The use of maltodextrin provided the best protection to bilberry anthocyanins during forced storage. Overall, the obtained encapsulates show suitable potential for the development of food products with added nutritional benefits. Full article

The settlement drag coefficient of non-spherical particles (SDCNPs) is a crucial parameter in the field of petroleum engineering. Accurately predicting the SDCNPs in the fluid is essential to the selection and design of proppant and hydraulic design in the fracturing scheme. Although many models for anticipating the SDCNPs have been proposed, none of them can be adopted for non-Newtonian fluid (NNF) and Newtonian fluid (NF). In the investigation, the SDCNPs in NF and NNF are studied experimentally, and the anticipation mode of the settlement drag coefficient of spherical particles (SDCSPs) in different fluids (including Newton, Herschel-Bulkley and power law) is proposed. On this basis, the shape depiction parameter circularity is introduced to develop the SDCNPs. The results exhibit that the predicted values of the SDCNPs model perfectly align with the experimental values, and the average relative errors are 5.70%, 6.24% and 6.72%, respectively. The mode can accurately describe the settlement behavior of non-spherical particles (NSPs) and provide a basis for the application of NSPs in petroleum engineering. Full article

Peaberry coffee is the result of a natural mutation of coffee beans, and they make up only about 5–7% of coffee crops. A typical coffee cherry contains two seeds that are developed against each other, resulting in the distinctive half-rounded shape of coffee beans. However, failing to fertilize both ovules of one of the seeds or failure in endosperm development can cause only one of the seeds to develop, resulting in smaller, denser beans with a more domed shape. Peaberry coffees are said to be sweeter, lighter, and more flavorful since the peaberry beans receive all nutrients from the coffee cherry. Due to its exclusive nature, the chemical characteristic of peaberry coffee is not well understood. This study explores the acidities and antioxidant activity of peaberry coffee sourced from multiple regions. Total antioxidant capacity, total caffeoylquinic acid (CQA), total caffeine concentration, and pH levels were evaluated for peaberry coffee extracts prepared by cold and hot brewing methods. Little correlation between antioxidant activity and the concentrations of caffeine and CQA in peaberry beans was shown. Six methods were performed for the characterization of total antioxidant capacity including cyclic voltammetry, ABTS assay, and FRAP assay. Peaberry bean extract demonstrated higher average total caffeine concentrations compared to traditional coffee bean extracts. Full article

To study the mechanism of galangal in the treatment of gastric cancer by network pharmacology. The TCMSP database was used to collect the effective compounds and potential targets of galangal, and the genes associated with gastric cancer were obtained through the GeneCards database, and Venn obtained the interaction genes of the effective compound targets of galangal and gastric cancer targets, plotted the interaction genes into PPI networks, and screened out key targets. The interacting genes were imported into Metascape database for GO enrichment analysis and KEGG signal enrichment. A total of 13 active compounds and 207 potential downstream target genes were screened by TCMSP database. Have 5222 gastric cancer target genes through GeneCards database, there were a total of 150 interactive genes and 6 key genes: TP53, AKT1, JUN, HSP90AA1, IL6, and CASP3. These interacting genes involved 30 typical GO entries and 20 KEGG signals. Galangal may play a role in the treatment of gastric cancer by means of multi-component, multi-target and multi-signal pathway. Full article

The research on energy conversion and transportation of fuels at a microscopic level is of great significance to the development of industry. As a new alternative fuel, alcohols are widely used in industry and daily life, so it is necessary to investigate the thermophysical properties of them. In this work, seven species of pure liquid alcohols were performed to investigate the microscopic mechanisms of thermal energy transfer by non-equilibrium molecular dynamic (NEMD) method. Firstly, the thermal conductivity of alcohols was calculated and was found to be consistent with the experimental data. Then, the influence of temperature on energy transfer is investigated, the results show that the contribution of convection energy transfer increases and both the inter- and intramolecular terms decrease with the increase of temperature. Finally, the influence of molecular length on energy transfer was investigated at the same temperature, and it is concluded that the contribution of the convective term decreases and the interactive term increases to the total heat flux with increasing the length of the chain. It is worth mentioning that the contribution of intramolecular energy transfer gradually becomes a dominant part of the total energy transfer as the linear chain molecule increases to a certain length and the number of carbon atoms at the intersection point of inter- and intramolecular energy transfer is similar to the turning point of thermal conductivity. Full article

Graptolite–argillites (black shales) are studied as potential source of different metals. In the processing technologies of graptolite–argillites, a preceding thermal treatment is often applied. In this study, the thermal behavior of Estonian graptolite–argillite (GA) samples from Toolse, Sillamäe and Pakri areas were studied using a Setaram Labsys Evo 1600 thermoanalyzer coupled with the Pfeiffer OmniStar Mass Spectrometer. The products of thermal treatment were studied by XRD, FTIR, and SEM analytical methods. The experiments were carried out under non-isothermal conditions of up to 1200 °C at different heating rates in the atmosphere containing 79% Ar and 21% O₂. The differential isoconversional Friedman method was applied for calculating the kinetic parameters. All studied GA samples are characterized with high content of orthoclase (between 38.0 and 57.3%) and quartz (between 23.8 and 35.5%), and with lower content of muscovite, jarosite, pyrite, etc. The content of organic carbon in GA samples studied varied between 7.3 and 14.2%. The results indicated that, up to 200 °C, the emission of hygroscopic and physically bound water takes place. Between 200 °C and 500–550 °C, this is followed by thermo-oxidative decomposition of organic matter. The first step of thermo-oxidation of pyrite with the emission of water, carbon and sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and different hydrocarbon fragments indicated the complicated composition of organic matter. At higher temperatures, between 550 °C and 900 °C, the transformations continued by dehydroxylation processes in clay minerals, and the decomposition of jarosite and carbonates took place. At temperatures above 1000–1050 °C, a slow increase in the emission of sulphur dioxide followed, indicating the beginning of the second step of thermo-oxidative decomposition of pyrite, which was not completed for temperatures of up to 1000°C. Kinetic calculations prove the complicated mechanism of thermal decomposition of GA samples: for Pakri GA samples, it occurs in two steps, and for Silllamäe and Toolse GA samples, it occurs in three steps. Preliminary tests for the estimation of the influence of pre-roasting of GA samples on the solubility of different elements contained in GA at the following leaching in sulphuric acid is based on Toolse GA sample. Full article

Papaver decaisnei (P. decaisnei) has been used as folkloric medicine for many health issues including gastric problems. The current study investigates the gastroprotective roles of P. decaisnei against ethanol-induced ulcers in rodents. Sprague Dawley rats (30) were separated into five groups: the normal group (G1) and the ulcer control group (G2) were orally administered 0.5% carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); the reference group (G3) was administered 20 mg/kg of Omeprazole; two experimental groups were fed with 200 mg/kg (G4) and 400 mg/kg (G5) of the P. decaisnei extract (PDE), respectively. Next, the rats were given absolute ethanol and sacrificed for the analysis of the gastric mucosal injury through microscopic, enzymatic, histologic, and immunohistochemistry assays. The ulcer controls showed significant superficial hemorrhagic gastric mucosal lesions, with a decreased gastric wall mucus and edema production, whereas fewer were found for the reference and plant-treated rats. Furthermore, the PDE pre-treated rats had a significantly reduced the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining intensity, produced the upregulation of the HSP70 protein, and the downregulation of the Bax protein expressions in the stomach epithelium. P. decaisnei displayed a significant role in the upregulation of endogenous antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and PGE2), significantly reduced malondialdehyde (MDA), TNF-a, IL-6, and upraised the IL-10 levels. Based on the positive impacts, the PDE can be proposed as the protective/treatment agent against gastric ulcers and stomach lesions. Full article

Watermelon is a fruit produced around the world. Unfortunately, about half of it—the rind—is usually discarded as waste. To transform such waste into a useful product like flour, a thermal treatment is needed. The drying temperature for the rind that produces flour with the best characteristics is most important. A multiobjective optimization (MOO) procedure was applied to define the optimum drying temperature for the rind flour fabrication to be used in bakery products. A neural network model of the fabrication process was developed with the drying temperature as input and five process indicators as outputs. The group of process indicators comprised acidity, pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), oil-holding capacity (OHC), and batch time. Those indicators represent conflicting objectives that are to be balanced by the MOO procedure using the weighted distance method. The MOO process showed that the temperature interval from 67.3 °C to 73.1 °C holds the compromise solutions for the conflicting indicators based on the stakeholder’s preferences. Optimum indicator were 0.12–0.19 g malic acid/100 g dwb (acidity), 5.7–5.8 (pH), 8.93–9.08 g H₂O/g dwb (WHC), 1.46–1.56 g oil/g dwb (OHC), and 128–139 min (drying time). Full article

It is becoming increasingly difficult to properly control the power consumption of widely dispersed data centers. Energy consumption is high because of the need to run these data centers (DCs) that handle incoming user requests. The rising cost of electricity at the data center is a contemporary problem for cloud service providers (CSPs). Recent studies show that geo-distributed data centers may share the load and save money using variable power prices and pricing derivatives in the wholesale electricity market. In this study, we evaluate the problem of reducing energy expenditures in geographically dispersed data centers while accounting for variable system dynamics, power price fluctuations, and renewable energy sources. We present a renewable energy-based load balancing employing an option pricing (RLB-Option) online algorithm based on a greedy approach for interactive task allocation to reduce energy costs. The basic idea of RLB-Option is to process incoming user requests using available renewable energy sources. In contrast, in the case of unprocessed user requests, the workload will be processed using brown energy or call option contract at each timeslot. We formulate the energy cost minimization in geo-distributed DCs as an optimization problem considering geographical load balancing, renewable energy, and an option pricing contract from the derivative market while satisfying the set of constraints. We prove that the RLB-Option can reduce the energy cost of the DCs close to that of the optimal offline algorithm with future information. Compared to standard workload allocation methods, RLB-Option shows considerable cost savings in experimental evaluations based on real-world data. Full article

The effect of quasi-exponentially decreasing film thicknesses of thin poly-para-xylylene (PPX-N) coatings inside narrow tubes or micro scaled gaps is well known and has been discussed by many authors since the late 1970s. However, for technical applications it is often necessary to provide a longitudinal homogeneous film thickness to ensure the constant properties that are required. In a previous work, it was shown, in principle and for the first time, that a temperature gradient along the tube will effectively counteract the longitudinal decreasing film thickness of the PPX-N coating of the interior wall of a capillary. Therefore, this effect is discussed in theory and the provided model is verified by experiments. Our prediction of a required sticking coefficient curve yields experimentally measured homogeneous film thicknesses and shows a good agreement with the given prognosis. Further, it is shown in theory that there is a maximum achievable homogeneous film thickness in the tube in comparison to a blank surface, which can be understood as a coating efficiency for this type of deposition. Full article

The sedimentation characteristics of quartz particles affect their separation and settling dehydration processes. Particle morphology determines the sedimentation equilibrium velocity. In this paper, the sedimentation of a single quartz particle is characterized by employing experimental and CFD-DEM approaches. SEM served to examine quartz particles measuring 30–500 μm, and they exhibited flaky–blocky morphologies with an average long–middle axis ratio of 1.6. Consistent with the SEM-detected morphological features of the quartz particles, suggested here is a simpler drag coefficient model, followed by verification of the model with experimental data. The results show that the velocity of a quartz particle in the non-settling direction had a fluctuation of ±0.2 mm/s. The fluctuation reached 0.4 mm/s at varying settlement release angles. The order in which the particles reached sedimentation equilibrium velocity during the settlement process was double-cone, single-cone, and square when the initial velocity was greater than sedimentation equilibrium velocity. Furthermore, the long–middle axis ratio of quartz particles diminished as their equilibrium sedimentation velocities rose. Given that the quartz particles ranged from 30 to 50 μm in size, the long–middle axis ratio wielded no discernible effect on the sedimentation equilibrium velocity. Full article