Processes最新文献

{"title":"An Experimental Study on the Solubility of Betulin in the Complex Solvent Ethanol-DMSO","authors":"G. Shambilova, Aigul S. Bukanova, Altynay S. Kalauova, D.Zh. Kalimanova, Amangeldi I. Abilkhairov, Igor S. Makarov, Markel I. Vinogradov, Georgy I. Makarov, Sergey A. Yakimov, Alexander V. Koksharov, Egor M. Novikov","doi":"10.3390/pr12061179","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061179","url":null,"abstract":"Betulin is a promising natural organic substance due to its antibacterial, fungicidal, and antitumor properties, as are their derivatives. The particle size of betulin can reach several tens of micrometers, and its thickness is several microns. There are various ways of processing betulin, but the most promising are solution methods (applying thin layers, impregnation, etc.). Application or impregnation of various materials is carried out using betulin; however, currently known solvents do not allow obtaining solutions with the necessary content of it. Since a number of direct solvents are already known for betulin, which provides only low-concentration solutions, the use of complex systems based on two solvents can become the optimal solution to the problem. The literature data show that the use of mixtures of solvents allows for the preparation of homogeneous solutions, for example, for natural polymers like cellulose, etc. This approach to obtaining solutions has become the basis for the processing of betulin. The use of a mixed solvent based on ethanol and DMSO for the preparation of betulin solutions has been proposed for the first time. The solubility of betulin in a mixture system with a ratio of components of 50 wt.% to 50 wt.% was studied, and a solubility curve was plotted. It is shown that the use of a two-component solvent makes it possible to transfer up to 10% of betulin into solution, which is almost twice as much as compared to already known solvents. The rheological properties of the obtained solutions have been studied. The viscosity of betulin solutions in a complex solvent depends on its content and temperature, so for 7% solutions at 70 °C, it is approximately 0.008 Pa*s. Applying betulin to the surface of the cardboard increases its hydrophobic properties and repellency.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":" 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141371978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Satisfaction with Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems and Feed-in-Tariffs Effects on Energy and Environmental Goals in Jordan","authors":"A. Al-Refaie, N. Lepkova","doi":"10.3390/pr12061175","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061175","url":null,"abstract":"Rooftop photovoltaic (RPV) systems are valuable clean-energy-efficient technology that facilitates the transition toward energy sustainability in residential buildings. Hence, the government in Jordan implemented the feed-in-tariffs (FiT) policy to motivate residents’ willingness to install RPV systems. However, the quality of RPV products and services is a key determinant of social acceptance to install RPV systems. Hence, manufacturers and suppliers are working closely with adopters to design and manufacture RPV systems that meet or exceed their expectations. Still, there is a need to develop a quantitative assessment to examine the effects of this FiT policy and the quality of RPV systems on energy security. This study, therefore, develops a system dynamics model to examine the effects of the FiT policy and the quality of RPV products and services on social acceptance to install RPV systems. To achieve this objective, several hypotheses were established related to the main model factors, including the quality of services, complaint reduction, performance ratio, payback period and warranty, and FiT price, with a willingness to install RPV systems. Then, a system dynamics model was constructed. The simulation results reveal the significant factor that impacts energy goals. Moreover, from the end of the year 2030 to the end of 2050, RPV installations, generated power, and CO2 emission reductions are expected to increase from 0.681 GW to 72.83 GW, from 1.07 to 125.74 TWh, and from 0.680 to 79.59 million tons of CO2, respectively. Optimization was performed to maximize the three objectives under the uncertainty of key model variables. The optimal factor values can significantly increase the current energy goals by about 20%. In conclusion, collecting, analyzing, and evaluating adopter input and feedback on RPV systems regarding their design and technology and manufacturing and the post-services of RPV systems significantly influence energy sustainability in residential buildings. In addition, government support through investing in the FiT policy can boost RPV installations in residential buildings.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":" 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141372075","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Edge Computing-Based Modular Control System for Industrial Environments","authors":"G. Gouveia, Jorge Alves, Pedro Sousa, Rui Araújo, Jérôme Mendes","doi":"10.3390/pr12061165","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061165","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents a modular hardware control system tailored for industrial applications. The system presented is designed with electrical protection, guaranteeing the reliable operation of its modules in the presence of various field noises and external disturbances. The modular architecture comprises a principal module (mP) and dedicated expansion modules (mEXs). The principal module serves as the network administrator and facilitates interaction with production and control processes. The mEXs are equipped with sensors, conditioning circuits, analog-to-digital converters, and digital signal processing capabilities. The mEX’s primary function is to acquire local processing field signals and ensure their reliable transmission to the mP. Two specific mEXs were developed for industrial environments: an electrical signal expansion module (mSE) and the vibration signals expansion module (mSV). The EtherCAT protocol serves as a means of communication between the modules, fostering deterministic and real-time interactions while also simplifying the integration and replacement of modules within the modular architecture. The proposed system incorporates local and distributed processing in which data acquisition, processing, and data analysis are carried out closer to where data are generated. Locally processing the acquired data close to the production in the mEX increases the mP availability and network reliability. For the local processing, feature extraction algorithms were developed on the mEX based on a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) algorithm and a curve-fitting algorithm that accurately represents a given FFT curve by significantly reducing the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the mP. The proposed system offers a promising solution to use computational intelligence methodologies and meet the growing need for a modular industrial control system with reliable local data processing to reach a smart industry. The case study of acquiring and processing vibration signals from a real cement ball mill showed a good capacity for processing data and reducing the amount of data.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"27 34","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141379201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Carbon Molecular Sieve Membrane Reactors for Ammonia Cracking","authors":"V. Cechetto, Gaetano Anello, A. Rahimalimamaghani, Fausto Gallucci","doi":"10.3390/pr12061168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061168","url":null,"abstract":"The utilization of ammonia for hydrogen storage relies on the implementation of efficient decomposition techniques, and the membrane reactor, which allows simultaneous ammonia decomposition and hydrogen recovery, can be regarded as a promising technology. While Pd-based membranes show the highest performance for hydrogen separation, their applicability for NH3-sensitive applications, such as proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, demands relatively thick, and therefore expensive, membranes to meet the purity targets for hydrogen. To address this challenge, this study proposes a solution involving the utilization of a downstream hydrogen purification unit to remove residual ammonia, thereby enabling the use of less selective, therefore more cost-effective, membranes. Specifically, a carbon molecular sieve membrane was prepared on a tubular porous alumina support and tested for ammonia decomposition in a membrane reaction setup. Operating at 5 bar and temperatures ranging from 450 to 500 °C, NH3 conversion rates exceeding 90% were achieved, with conversion approaching thermodynamic equilibrium at temperatures above 475 °C. Simultaneously, the carbon membrane facilitated the recovery of hydrogen from ammonia, yielding recoveries of 8.2–9.8%. While the hydrogen produced at the permeate side of the reactor failed to meet the purity requirements for PEM fuel cell applications, the implementation of a downstream hydrogen purification unit comprising a fixed bed of zeolite 13X enabled the production of fuel cell-grade hydrogen. Despite performance far from being comparable with the ones achieved in the literature with Pd-based membranes, this study underscores the viability of carbon membranes for fuel cell-grade hydrogen production, showcasing their competitiveness in the field.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"69 s279","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141376476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pressure Characteristics in the Nitrogen-Sealed Power Transformers under Internal Faults","authors":"Jiansheng Li, Zheng Jia, Shengquan Wang, Shiming Liu","doi":"10.3390/pr12061167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061167","url":null,"abstract":"The explosion-proof performance is an important index for oil-immersed transformers. The nitrogen-sealed transformer is a new type of transformer with nitrogen gas in the upper space, which can buffer against internal stress increase caused by arc faults. However, the pressure changes in the transformer under internal faults are unclear. The authors of this study propose a method based on finite element simulation to analyze the pressure changes and the stress on the tank. First, the calculation process of arc energy and the pressure of the bubbles caused by the arc are derived. Second, the dynamic pressure wave propagation model and acoustic-solid coupling model are established. Last, the finite element simulation model is built to analyze the pressure characteristics. Taking the winding turn-to-turn and phase-to-phase short circuit faults as the analysis situations, the pressure changes in the 110 kV/20 MVA nitrogen-sealed transformer are simulated. Due to the pressure wave refraction and reflection, the pressure changes show oscillatory characteristics with time after the occurrence of an internal short circuit fault. The pressure wave travels from the arc fault position to the periphery. Compared to the conventional transformer, the pressure changes with slower variations under an internal short circuit fault and the tank suffer less stress, which indicates that the nitrogen-sealed transformer is more effective in the explosion-proof performance.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"23 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141376723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving Thermal Efficiency and Reducing Emissions with CO2 Injection during Late Stage SAGD Development","authors":"Qi Jiang, Yang Liu, Ying Zhou, Zhongyuan Wang, Yuning Gong, Guanchen Jiang, Si-Ying Huang, Chunsheng Yu","doi":"10.3390/pr12061166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061166","url":null,"abstract":"The steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) process requires high energy input to maintain the continuous expansion of the steam chamber for achieving high oil recovery. In the late stage of SAGD operation where the oil rate is low and the heat loss is high from a mature steam chamber, maintaining steam chamber pressure with a lower steam injection is the key to maintaining the economic oil-to-steam ratio (OSR). Both laboratory studies and field tests have demonstrated the effectiveness of adding a non-condensable gas (NCG) to the SAGD steam chamber for improving the overall thermal efficiency. In this study, a multi-well reservoir model was built based on the detailed geological description from an operating SAGD project area, which contains thick pay and top water. Grounded with the history matching of more than 20 years of production using CSS (cyclic steam stimulation) and SAGD as follow-up process, the model was applied to optimize the operating strategies for the late stage of SAGD production. The results from this study demonstrated that the co-injection of steam with CO2 or the injection of CO2 only has potential to improve the OSR and reduce emissions by more than 50% through the improvement in steam-saving and the storage of CO2. The results from reservoir modeling indicate that, with the current volume of a steam chamber and an operating pressure of 4.0 MPa, about 55 sm3 of CO2 could be sequestrated and utilized for producing 1.0 m3 of oil from this reservoir through the replacement of a steam injection with CO2 in the late stage of SAGD operation.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"22 3‐4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141381515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling the Superiority of Innovative Carbonated Self-Nanoemulsifying Drug Delivery Systems in Improving the Stability of Acid-Labile Drugs: Atorvastatin as a Model Drug","authors":"Abdelrahman Y. Sherif, M. Ibrahim","doi":"10.3390/pr12061169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061169","url":null,"abstract":"Atorvastatin (AT) is widely prescribed by physicians during the treatment of hyperlipidemia. The self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) is used to overcome its low drug solubility and bioavailability. However, the presence of free fatty acids in SNEDDS formulation resulted in remarkable AT degradation. This study explores innovative carbonated SNEDDS to enhance the stability of AT within SNEDDS formulation. Various types of SNEDDS formulations were prepared and evaluated. In vitro dissolution was performed to examine the ability of SNEDDS formulation to enhance AT dissolution. The solidified SNEDDS formation was prepared using Syloid adsorbent (AT-SF6). In addition, sodium bicarbonate was loaded within the best formulation at various concentrations to prepare carbonated SNEDDS (AT-CF6). Kinetics of drug degradation were studied over 45 days to assess AT stability in SNEDDS formulations. It was found that the SNEDDS formulation was able to enhance the dissolution of AT by about 1.5-fold compared with the pure drug formulation. AT-SF6 did not reduce the degradation rate of the drug compared with AT-F6. However, AT-CF6 formulations showed that increasing the concentration of incorporated sodium bicarbonate significantly reduced the degradation rate of AT. It was found that sodium bicarbonate in AT-CF6 significantly reduced the degradation rate of AT (0.00019) six-fold compared with AT-F6 (0.00115). The obtained results show that carbonated SNEDDS is a promising approach to enhance the stability of acid-labile drugs and their pharmaceutical application.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"18 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141378281","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study on the Application of Finite Difference in Geological Mine Fault Groups: A Case Study","authors":"Jianbo Yuan, Chao Wang, Zhigang Liu, Jingchao Lyu, Yajun Lu, Wuchao You, Jiazheng Yan","doi":"10.3390/pr12061162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12061162","url":null,"abstract":"Fault structures can cause a bad mining environment and increase the stress of surrounding coal pillar faults. The study investigates the stress evolution characteristics within fault structure groups and their surrounding coal pillars and explores the extent to which these fault structure groups influence the stress distribution in coal pillars. Based on three-dimensional modeling technology, a transparent geological model of the geological environment of fault structure groups was constructed and finite difference software was used to generate a numerical simulation model. Two survey lines and four survey points were arranged to analyze the stress distribution of a coal pillar fault. The results show that the fault structure groups have obvious stress barrier effects. There is a 35 m stress reduction zone in the hanging wall of the fault and a 30 m stress increase zone in the footwall of the fault. Both FL-1 and FL-3 faults have a stress barrier effect in the hanging wall. The obvious stress increases in the footwall of the fault are 37.7 MPa and 33.5 MPa, respectively. The stress of the FL-2 fault as a whole appears to be a more obvious superposition at the end of mining, and the peak stress reaches 41.5 MPa.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"3 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141385685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance and Formula Optimization of Graphene-Modified Tungsten Carbide Coating to Improve Adaptability to High-Speed Fluid Flow in Wellbore","authors":"Minsheng Wang, Lingchao Xuan, Lei Wang, Jiangshuai Wang","doi":"10.3390/pr12040714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12040714","url":null,"abstract":"In order to improve the erosion resistance of steel PDC (Polycrystalline Diamond Compact) bit under high-speed fluid flow conditions underground, it is necessary to develop a high-performance erosion-resistant coating. In this paper, laser cladding was used to prepare the new coating by modifying tungsten carbide with graphene. And the effects of tungsten carbide content and graphene content on the coating performance have been thoroughly studied and analyzed to obtain the optimal covering layer. The research results indicate that, for new coatings, 60% tungsten carbide and 0.3% graphene are the optimal ratios. After adding tungsten carbide, the hardness has significantly improved. However, when the tungsten carbide content further increases more than 30%, the increase in hardness is limited. In addition, when the content of graphene is more than 0.3%, the branched structure becomes thicker. In detail, this is a phenomenon where the segregation of Cr, Si, and W becomes very obvious again, and the segregation of Fe occurs at the Ni enrichment site. The research results contribute to the development and optimization of high-quality erosion-resistant coatings under the high-speed flow conditions in wellbore. These are of great significance for improving the efficiency of oil and gas exploration and development.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"30 22","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140358319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Thermo-Economic Measure of Sustainability","authors":"U. Lucia, Giulia Grisolia","doi":"10.3390/pr12040713","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12040713","url":null,"abstract":"Recently, an improvement of the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI), named the Thermodynamic Human Development Index (THDI), has been introduced to link socio-economics to environmental and technical pillars of sustainable development. In this paper, the THDI is linked to the Kaya identity to bring out the quantities useful in energy economics and to obtain a clearer tool for the evaluation of sustainability. Moreover, the THDI has been normalized for use as an index for the analysis of sustainability. The component related to environmental emissions, which is included in the THDI, can be linked to the Kaya identity. This linkage allows us to use the THDI for the analysis of scenarios, which is useful for evaluating the possible impacts of any future actions on the development of countries.","PeriodicalId":506892,"journal":{"name":"Processes","volume":"117 21","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140359947","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}