Search results for "Process Engineering"
showing 10 items of 931 documents
CFD simulations of dense solid–liquid suspensions in baffled stirred tanks: Prediction of solid particle distribution
2013
Abstract Industrial tanks devoted to the mixing of solid particles into liquids are often operated at an impeller speed N less than Njs (defined as the lowest speed allowing the suspension of all particles): under such conditions the distribution of solid-particles is very far from being homogeneous and very significant concentration gradients exist. The present work is devoted to assessing the capability of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in predicting the particle distribution throughout the tank. The CFD model proposed by Tamburini et al. [58] and successfully applied to the prediction of the sediment amount and shape was adopted here to simulate the particle distribution under partia…
Steady State and Dynamic Models of Multistage Flash Desalination: A Review
2010
This article focuses on a review of literature studies on steady state and dynamic modeling of the multistage flash desalination process (MSF). The review shows that both steady state and dynamic models are based on lumped parameter approach. Differences in literature models are found in the assumptions used to model the flashing stage in addition to the correlations used to determine the heat transfer coefficients, thermodynamic losses, thermodynamic and transport properties. Interestingly, literature indicates a rapid progress made in software used for coding and solution of the model equations. The review shows a limited number of literature models for the internals of the flashing stage…
A New Web Interface for Distributed Control Systems: Application to the Chemical Monitoring of a Wort Fermentation Process
2006
A new web interface for rule net-based distributed control systems is proposed. It is applied to the monitoring of a chemical analysis system coupled with a wort fermentation process. A complete description of both the chemical and the informatics system is presented. This interface offers the possibility of accessing the process from any Internet-connected device (PC, PDA, etc.), using a standard browser as the only software required. The evolution of the results obtained in the FIA monitoring (and consequently of the process) can be analyzed by means of this interface; on the other hand, the process itself can be directly controlled through the modification of the different working parame…
Optimization of a thermoelectric system for power generation realized by ‘‘hidden’’ components
2014
Abstract Today the utilization of renewable energy sources is very important to support the traditional ones, and also in order to reach the objectives fixed by the Kyoto Protocol. In this context, also well-known technologies related to the electric energy production, formerly not suitable – due to the poor technological level of the components or due to the high costs linked to the system efficiency – may now find a suitable collocation. Among these technologies, the thermoelectric effect may be very advantageous in some particular applications of small power. A power generation system utilizing this technology has been studied by the authors. This system utilizes the thermal difference b…
Conceptual study of the coupling of a biorefinery process for hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae with a concentrating solar power plant
2017
A conceptual analysis of the coupling of a concentrating solar power plant with a chemical process for hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of microalgae to biocrude was performed. The two plants were considered coupled by molten salt recirculation that granted energetic supply to the chemical process. Preliminary estimations have been done considering a solar field constituted by 3 linear parabolic solar collectors rows, each 200 m long, using a ternary molten salts mixture as heat transfer fluid, and a chemical plant sized to process 10 kT/y of microalgae. Under adopted conditions, we have estimated a minimum selling prize of the biocrude that is similar to that achieved in non-solar HTL proce…
A data-driven methodology to support pump performance analysis and energy efficiency optimization in Waste Water Treatment Plants
2017
Abstract Studies and publications from the past ten years demonstrate that generally the energy efficiency of Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) is unsatisfactory. In this domain, efficient pump energy management can generate economic and environmental benefits. Although the availability of on-line sensors can provide high-frequency information about pump systems, at best, energy assessment is carried out a few times a year using aggregated data. Consequently, pump inefficiencies are normally detected late and the comprehension of pump system dynamics is often not satisfactory. In this paper, a data-driven methodology to support the daily energy decision-making is presented. This innovati…
Definition of a laboratory optimization protocol for road bitumen improved with recycled tire rubber
2012
Abstract Bearing in mind the need to answer one of the most frequent needs for civil construction, in general, and major project such as road infrastructures in particular, this paper presents the results of a laboratory experimental study in order to evaluate the performance improvement that is possible to achieve when modifying road bitumen with CRM (Crumb Rubber Modifier) from discarded tire rubber (TR), using a Wet Process. The environmental advantage is double, since the aim of the research is to obtain high performance road bitumen thanks to the re-use of a discarded material, such as the rubber tires, which otherwise would be dumped in scrap-yard. In particular, this experimental stu…
Particle distribution in dilute solid liquid unbaffled tanks via a novel laser sheet and image analysis based technique
2013
The availability of experimental information on particle distribution inside stirred tanks is a topic of great importance for many industrial applications such as catalysis and polymerization. The measurement of solid particle distribution is not simple and the development of suitable measuring techniques is still an open problem in chemical engineering research. In this work, a non-intrusive optical technique for measuring particle concentration fields in solid–liquid systems is discussed. The “Laser Sheet Image Analysis” (LSIA) technique described here makes use of a laser sheet, a digital camera for image acquisition and a suitable procedure for post-processing. It is able to provide sol…
Application of Pulsed Electric Field Treatment for Food Waste Recovery Operations
2016
International audience; Food industry is generating annually huge quantities of by-products and waste, which are generally considered as problem, as their disposal is associated with environmental and health related issues. During the last decade, numerous research groups and industries have been interested in valorizing these by-products by extracting valuable compounds and incorporating them generally in food and/or cosmetic products, which enhances the profitability of the process. Conventional extraction methods (i.e., maceration, thermal extraction) are exten- sively used for such purposes and showed high yields in many cases. However, the need to replace toxic organic solvents, shorte…
A fuzzy-logic-based controller for methane production in anaerobic fixed-film reactors
2017
The main objective of this work was to develop a controller for biogas production in continuous anaerobic fixed-bed reactors, which used effluent total volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration as control input in order to prevent process acidification at closed loop. To this aim, a fuzzy-logic-based control system was developed, tuned and validated in an anaerobic fixed-bed reactor at pilot scale that treated industrial winery wastewater. The proposed controller varied the flow rate of wastewater entering the system as a function of the gaseous outflow rate of methane and VFA concentration. Simulation results show that the proposed controller is capable to achieve great process stability ev…