Design and Optimization in Process Engineering

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Process Control and Monitoring".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 September 2023) | Viewed by 31083

Special Issue Editors

Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan City 33302, Taiwan
Interests: plant-wide green energy systems; bio-oil production processes; CO2 capture and utilization; reactive distillation and dividing-wall columns; separation of azeotropic mixtures; data-based modeling on the real plants

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engeering, College of Engineering, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
Interests: process system engineering; process design and control; process integration and optimization; green energy system design; process simulation; system operability analysis; ChE mathematical modeling; ChE artificial intelligence and machine learning
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Guest Editor
Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu 31040, Taiwan
Interests: industrial process simulation; plant operation; construction and startup

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Guest Editor
Battolyser Systems, 3115 JA Schiedam, The Netherlands
Interests: control systems engineering; process system engineering; petroleum engineering; chemical engineering; process design and control; reactive distillation; membrane separation; separation process; hybrid technology; adsorption

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At present, more and more emerging chemical conversion routes have been proposed, in order to pursue processes with better safety, operation efficiency, and economic potential with less environmental impact. Hence, techniques in the field of process systems engineering (PSE) have attracted wide attention. Among the major topics in this field, process design and optimization deals with the problem of performing overall mass and energy balance of any given process, providing the process concept, enhancing the process performance, and so on. It also helps to overcome the gap between lab-scale and plant-scale operation, as well as between theoretical and practical knowledge.

This Special Issue aims at collecting seminal, original papers in the field of process design and optimization. We welcome articles including but not limited to the following topics:

  • Conceptual or rigorous simulation of novel processes;
  • Optimization of processes (either single or multi-objective ones);
  • Data-driven design and optimization;
  • Techno-economic, environmental assessment, or life cycle analysis studies;
  • Process safety studies;
  • Process designs for circular economy

Dr. Bor-Yih Yu
Dr. Vincentius Surya Kurnia Adi
Dr. Chien-Yuan Su
Dr. Felicia Januarlia Novita
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • design
  • optimization
  • modeling
  • simulation
  • chemical process
  • techno-economic

Published Papers (14 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 8159 KiB  
Article
Geographical Information System Modeling for Planning Internal Transportation in a Manufacturing Plant’s Outdoor Area
by Klemen Prah and Brigita Gajšek
Processes 2024, 12(1), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12010180 - 12 Jan 2024
Viewed by 636
Abstract
A geographical information system (GIS) is an advanced tool for collecting, managing, and analyzing spatially-referenced data. The contribution of GIS use to process performance indicators can be improved by combining it with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Combining a GIS and MCDA is, in [...] Read more.
A geographical information system (GIS) is an advanced tool for collecting, managing, and analyzing spatially-referenced data. The contribution of GIS use to process performance indicators can be improved by combining it with multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Combining a GIS and MCDA is, in the scientific literature, rarely discussed for planning an internal transportation system in a manufacturing plant’s outdoor area. The purpose of this article is to clarify what mangers can expect from using a combined approach when deciding on a transport fleet and the operational routing of vehicles. Beside the simulation of MCDA, the computer software ArcGIS Pro 3.0.2 with the Network Analyst extension was used for modelling the transportation system in the form of a case study. The article demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of GIS and MCDA use and reveals the extent of the challenge of how decision makers could make the most of ArcGIS functionality. The final solution for an internal transportation system in a manufacturing plant’s outdoor area includes such a vehicle fleet and the set time windows of orders for transport services, so that there are no violations of time windows and the work is completed within the work shift while minimizing costs, time, and distance. Decision makers can use the program without advanced knowledge of optimization approaches, following a procedure that does not differ much from that of learning to use other business software tools. On the contrary, the listed disadvantages can be summarized as the rigidity of setting detailed boundary conditions for a specific simulation scenario. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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17 pages, 3186 KiB  
Article
Improvement of Quadratic Exponential Quality Gain–Loss Function and Optimization of Engineering Specifications
by Bo Wang, Qikai Li, Qi Yang, Jilan Lu and Xiangtian Nie
Processes 2023, 11(7), 2225; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11072225 - 24 Jul 2023
Viewed by 941
Abstract
In the past, the optimization of engineering specifications primarily included the influence of quality loss terms on product quality; however, in actual production practice, compensation quantity inevitably affects the optimization quality of engineering specifications. In this paper, the quadratic exponential quality loss and [...] Read more.
In the past, the optimization of engineering specifications primarily included the influence of quality loss terms on product quality; however, in actual production practice, compensation quantity inevitably affects the optimization quality of engineering specifications. In this paper, the quadratic exponential quality loss and gain function was first supplemented, and the quadratic exponential quality loss and gain function was constructed under the larger-the-better characteristic and the smaller-the-better characteristic; in order to accurately represent the change in compensation amount in the process of quality control, the optimization method of engineering specification under the calculation of quality loss and compensation was given in combination with the hyperbolic tangent function. Finally, with the support of the dam construction quality acceptance assessment, the engineering specification optimization model was tested. The optimal coefficient was obtained as 0.162, and the specification range was reduced from 0.744 to 0.648, achieving the optimization goal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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28 pages, 2805 KiB  
Article
Research on Industry Data Analytics on Processing Procedure of Named 3-4-8-2 Components Combination for the Application Identification in New Chain Convenience Store
by You-Shyang Chen, Chien-Ku Lin, Jerome Chih-Lung Chou, Ying-Hsun Hung and Shang-Wen Wang
Processes 2023, 11(1), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11010180 - 06 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1554
Abstract
With the rapid economic boom of Asian countries, the president of Country-A has made great efforts to reform in recent years. The prospect of economic development is promising, and business opportunities are emerging gradually, depicting a prosperous scene; accordingly, people’s livelihood consumption also [...] Read more.
With the rapid economic boom of Asian countries, the president of Country-A has made great efforts to reform in recent years. The prospect of economic development is promising, and business opportunities are emerging gradually, depicting a prosperous scene; accordingly, people’s livelihood consumption also has changed significantly. The original main point of consumption for urban and rural people was the old and traditional grocery store with poor sanitation, but due to the economic improvement, the quality of consumption has also improved, and convenience stores are gradually replacing grocery store. However, convenience store management involves performance, logistic, competition, and personnel costs. Both whether the store can create a net profit and evaluate and select a new store will be important keys that significantly influence business performance. Therefore, this study attempts to use the industry data analysis method for highlighting a concept of processing an experience procedure of named 3-4-8-2 components combination in two stages. First, in the data preprocessing stage, this research considers 22 condition attributes and two types of decision factors, that include net profit and new store selection, and use both techniques of attribute selection and data discretization through the analysis and prediction of data mining tools. Next, in the experiment execution stage, three well-known classifiers (Bayes net, logistic regression, and J48 decision tree) with past good performance and four models (without preprocessing, with attribute selection, with data discretization, and with attribute selection and data discretization) are used for eight different experiments through two data verification methods (percentage split and cross-validation). Conclusively, three key results are identified from empirical analysis: (1) It is found that the prediction accuracy of the J48 decision tree classifier is relatively high and stable among the three classifiers in this study; at the same time, the J48 decision tree can yield comprehensible knowledge-based rules to instruct interested parties. (2) The results of this study show that the important attributes for the net profit decision attribute include the store type, POS number, and cashier number, while the important attributes for the new store selection include the store type and cashier number. (3) There is a difference in the selection of important attributes. Furthermore, four key valuable contributions are addressed from the empirical results, including academic contributions, enterprise contributions, application contributions, and management contributions. It is expected that the direction of store layout expansion can be found and identified through this study, but there are still many risks hidden behind the considerable business opportunities that need to be carefully managed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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19 pages, 2329 KiB  
Article
Chemical Vapor Deposition of Longitudinal Homogeneous Parylene Thin-Films inside Narrow Tubes
by David Redka, Milan Buttberg and Gerhard Franz
Processes 2022, 10(10), 1982; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10101982 - 01 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1674
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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22 pages, 5812 KiB  
Article
Integrated Process for Producing Glycolic Acid from Carbon Dioxide Capture Coupling Green Hydrogen
by Dongliang Wang, Jingwei Li, Wenliang Meng, Jian Wang, Ke Wang, Huairong Zhou, Yong Yang, Zongliang Fan and Xueying Fan
Processes 2022, 10(8), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10081610 - 15 Aug 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3646
Abstract
A novel process path is proposed to produce glycolic acid (GA) from CO2 as the feedstock, including CO2 capture, power-to-hydrogen, CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, methanol oxidation to formaldehyde, and formaldehyde carbonylation units. The bottlenecks are discussed from the perspectives of [...] Read more.
A novel process path is proposed to produce glycolic acid (GA) from CO2 as the feedstock, including CO2 capture, power-to-hydrogen, CO2 hydrogenation to methanol, methanol oxidation to formaldehyde, and formaldehyde carbonylation units. The bottlenecks are discussed from the perspectives of carbon utilization, CO2 emissions, total site energy integration, and techno-economic analysis. The carbon utilization ratio of the process is 82.5%, and the CO2 capture unit has the largest percentage of discharge in carbon utilization. Among the indirect emissions of each unit, the CO2 hydrogenation to methanol has the largest proportion of indirect carbon emissions, followed by the formaldehyde carbonylation to glycolic acid and the CO2 capture. After total site energy integration, the utility consumption is 1102.89 MW for cold utility, 409.67 MW for heat utility, and 45.98 MW for power. The CO2 hydrogenation to methanol makes the largest contribution to utility consumption due to the multi-stage compression of raw hydrogen and the distillation of crude methanol. The unit production cost is 834.75 $/t-GA; CO2 hydrogenation to methanol accounts for the largest proportion, at 70.8% of the total production cost. The total production cost of the unit depends on the price of hydrogen due to the currently high renewable energy cost. This study focuses on the capture and conversion of CO2 emitted from coal-fired power plants, which provides a path to a feasible low-carbon and clean use of CO2 resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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27 pages, 27937 KiB  
Article
Heat-Integration of Solar-Heated Membrane Distillation and Fuel Cell for Desalination System Based on the Dynamic Optimization Approach
by Yu-Hsin Liu, Vincentius Surya Kurnia Adi and Shing-Yi Suen
Processes 2022, 10(4), 663; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10040663 - 29 Mar 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1531
Abstract
The heat integration feasibility of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) coupled with the solar-heated direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) module is evaluated in this study. The additional waste heat from the PEMFC increases the DCMD system’s ability to produce fresh water [...] Read more.
The heat integration feasibility of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) coupled with the solar-heated direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) module is evaluated in this study. The additional waste heat from the PEMFC increases the DCMD system’s ability to produce fresh water and electricity. Two systems units to be assessed mainly include a flat plate solar collector, a heat storage tank with an internal heat exchanger, and the DCMD module with and without the PEMFC module. The importance of daily operation continuity is emphasized through a preliminary dynamic simulation and proper sizing of the solar-heated DCMD distillation. Sensitivity analysis is implemented to analyze the relationship between the essential variables and the daily freshwater production. The design variables of both configurations are rigorously optimized in terms of minimum unit production cost (UPC). The proposed heat integration feasibility is evaluated to obtain critical insights on the design strategy of the hybrid systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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15 pages, 4500 KiB  
Article
Automated Instrument for the Deposition of Thin Films Using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction
by Rosa M. Woo-García, Isaac Rodríguez-Ibarra, Edith Osorio-de-la-Rosa, Cesia Guarneros-Aguilar, Felipe Caballero-Briones, Ricardo Agustín-Serrano, Agustín L. Herrera-May and Francisco López-Huerta
Processes 2022, 10(3), 492; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10030492 - 01 Mar 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2518
Abstract
The development and improvement of thin film deposition techniques is an important research topic to obtain new materials at submicro and nano scale with high homogeneity and thickness control. Here, we designed and built an automated device for the deposition of binary or [...] Read more.
The development and improvement of thin film deposition techniques is an important research topic to obtain new materials at submicro and nano scale with high homogeneity and thickness control. Here, we designed and built an automated device for the deposition of binary or ternary compound films using Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR). The instrument is integrated by three different systems. The first system consists of a mobile platform of two degrees of freedom. The second part has an 8-bit microcontroller used to adjust the velocities along the horizontal and vertical axes. The third, the control system, uses a mobile app that can be implemented in smart devices, developed in free code software for programming and monitoring the main deposition parameters of the SILAR device such as the number of cycles, the immersion and emersion velocities, the residence time at each step, and the number of reactors. The performance of our instrument was verified through the deposition of PbS films, varying the number of deposition cycles to study the variations in the film thickness and structure, and assessed by profilometry, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The system demonstrated is useful to obtain crystalline films with controllable thicknesses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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19 pages, 2654 KiB  
Article
Attracting Potential Customers in E-Commerce Environments: A Comparative Study of Metaheuristic Algorithms
by Reza Yazdani, Mohammad Javad Taghipourian, Mohammad Mahdi Pourpasha and Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini
Processes 2022, 10(2), 369; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10020369 - 14 Feb 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2638
Abstract
Internet technology has provided an indescribable new way for businesses to attract new customers, track their behaviour, customise services, products, and advertising. Internet technology and the new trend of online shopping have resulted in the establishment of numerous websites to sell products on [...] Read more.
Internet technology has provided an indescribable new way for businesses to attract new customers, track their behaviour, customise services, products, and advertising. Internet technology and the new trend of online shopping have resulted in the establishment of numerous websites to sell products on a daily basis. Products compete to be displayed on the limited pages of a website in online shopping because it has a significant impact on sales. Website designers carefully select which products to display on a page in order to influence the customers’ purchasing decisions. However, concerns regarding appropriate decision making have not been fully addressed. As a result, this study conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of the performance of ten different metaheuristics. The ant lion optimiser (ALO), Dragonfly algorithm (DA), Grasshopper optimisation algorithm (GOA), Harris hawks optimisation (HHO), Moth-flame optimisation algorithm (MFO), Multi-verse optimiser (MVO), sine cosine algorithm (SCA), Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA), The whale optimisation algorithm (WOA), and Grey wolf optimiser (GWO) are some of the recent algorithms that were chosen for this study. The results show that the MFO outperforms the other methods in all sizes. MFO has an average normalised objective function of 81%, while ALO has a normalised objective function of 77%. In contrast, HHO has the worst performance of 16%. The study’s findings add new theoretical and practical insights to the growing body of knowledge about e-commerce environments and have implications for planners, policymakers, and managers, particularly in companies where an unplanned advertisement wastes the budget. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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18 pages, 11247 KiB  
Article
Optimal Magnetic Graphite Heater Design for Impurity Control in Single-Crystal Si Grower Using Crystal Growth Simulation
by Hye Jun Jeon, Hyeonwook Park, Salh Alhammadi, Jae Hak Jung and Woo Kyoung Kim
Processes 2022, 10(1), 70; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10010070 - 30 Dec 2021
Viewed by 2370
Abstract
In this paper, we report a successfully modified single-crystal Si growth furnace for impurity control. Four types of arbitrary magnetic heater (AMGH) systems with 3, 4, 5, and poly parts were designed in a coil shape and analyzed using crystal growth simulation. The [...] Read more.
In this paper, we report a successfully modified single-crystal Si growth furnace for impurity control. Four types of arbitrary magnetic heater (AMGH) systems with 3, 4, 5, and poly parts were designed in a coil shape and analyzed using crystal growth simulation. The concentration of oxygen impurities in single-crystal Si ingots was compared among the designed AMGHs and a normal graphite heater (NGH). The designed AMGHs were confirmed to be able to control turbulence and convection in a molten state, which created a vortex that influenced the oxygen direction near the melt–crystal interface. It was confirmed that replacing NGH with AMGHs resulted in a reduction in the average oxygen concentration at the Si melt–crystal interface by approximately 4.8%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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16 pages, 1869 KiB  
Article
Power Consumption Analysis and Experimental Study on the Kneading and Cutting Process of Licorice Stem in Horizontal Total Mixed Ration Mixer
by Wentao Li, Baoqin Wen, Pengxiang Song, Yameng Shi, Jie Zhang, Jingbin Li, Junpeng Liang, Tianyang Li and Beichuan Qu
Processes 2021, 9(12), 2108; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9122108 - 24 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1980
Abstract
Aiming at the problems of high-power consumption and insufficient kneading and cutting of roughage in the total mixed ration mixer. In this paper, licorice stems were taken as experimental objects, the horizontal twin-shaft TMR mixer was used to carry out the experimental study. [...] Read more.
Aiming at the problems of high-power consumption and insufficient kneading and cutting of roughage in the total mixed ration mixer. In this paper, licorice stems were taken as experimental objects, the horizontal twin-shaft TMR mixer was used to carry out the experimental study. It should be as brief as possible and concise. Through the kneading and cutting process power analysis, determine the influencing factors of kneading and cutting power consumption. The auger speed, processing time and blade type were taken as experimental factors, with standard straw length rate and power consumption as indicators, Box–Behnken test with three factors and three levels was carried out, analysis of variance was performed on the test results, the results show that the significant effect of each factor on the standard grass length is processing time, blade type and auger speed in descending order. The significance of the influence on power consumption from large to small is auger speed, processing time and blade type. The response surface analysis and parameter optimization were carried out, the results show that the auger speed is 20 r/min, the processing time is 29 min, and the blade type is quincunx blade. At this time, the standard straw length was 82.634%; Power consumption 4525.815 kJ, TMR mixer performance reached the best. The results can provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent research and development of TMR mixer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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20 pages, 15892 KiB  
Article
A Tandem Running Strategy-Based Heat Transfer Search Algorithm and Its Application to Chemical Constrained Process Optimization
by Ebrahim Alnahari and Hongbo Shi
Processes 2021, 9(11), 1961; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9111961 - 02 Nov 2021
Viewed by 1209
Abstract
Constrained optimization problems (COPs) are widely encountered in chemical engineering processes, and are normally defined by complex objective functions with a large number of constraints. Classical optimization methods often fail to solve such problems. In this paper, to solve COPs efficiently, a two-phase [...] Read more.
Constrained optimization problems (COPs) are widely encountered in chemical engineering processes, and are normally defined by complex objective functions with a large number of constraints. Classical optimization methods often fail to solve such problems. In this paper, to solve COPs efficiently, a two-phase search method based on a heat transfer search (HTS) algorithm and a tandem running (TR) strategy is proposed. The main framework of the MHTS–TR method aims to alternate between a feasible search phase that only examines feasible solutions, using the HTS algorithm, and an infeasible search phase where the treatment of infeasible solutions is relaxed in a controlled manner, using the TR strategy. These two phases play different roles in the search process; the former ensures an intensified optimum in a relevant feasible region, whereas the latter is used to introduce more diversity into the former. Thus, the ensemble of these two complementary phases can provide an effective method to solve a wide variety of COPs. The proposed variant was investigated over 24 well-known constrained benchmark functions, and then compared with various well-established metaheuristic approaches. Furthermore, it was applied for solving a chemical COP. The promising results demonstrate that the MHTS–TR approach is applicable for solving real-world COPs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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17 pages, 16651 KiB  
Article
Optimization of Process Parameters for Friction Materials Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making: A Comparative Analysis
by Dinesh Shinde, Hasan Öktem, Kanak Kalita, Shankar Chakraborty and Xiao-Zhi Gao
Processes 2021, 9(9), 1570; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9091570 - 01 Sep 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2000
Abstract
Friction materials, mainly made of reinforced composites, should possess excellent physical and tribological properties, such as a higher coefficient of friction, minimum wear, adequate surface hardness, and higher porosity for various automotive brake applications. Attainment of those properties greatly depends on the settings [...] Read more.
Friction materials, mainly made of reinforced composites, should possess excellent physical and tribological properties, such as a higher coefficient of friction, minimum wear, adequate surface hardness, and higher porosity for various automotive brake applications. Attainment of those properties greatly depends on the settings of different input parameters, such as molding pressure, temperature and time, temperature and time of heat treatment/sintering, etc., during the processing of friction materials. In this article, four multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools, i.e., technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), evaluation based on distance from average solution (EDAS), VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), and multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA) are applied to identify the optimal parametric combinations for two different friction materials. A comparative analysis of the derived results suggests the same optimal parametric mixes for all the MCDM techniques for both case studies. Thus, for the considered case studies, the optimal parametric combinations as molding time = 8 min, molding temperature = 175 °C, molding pressure = 27 MPa, sintering time = 10 h and sintering temperature = 225 °C, and molding pressure = 27.90 MPa, molding temperature = 170 °C, curing time = 8 min, and heat treatment time = 1 h, respectively, would help in attaining the most desired properties of friction materials. Improvements in the predicted response values prove the efficacy of the adopted MCDM techniques in determining the optimal combinations of various process parameters for friction materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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22 pages, 8658 KiB  
Article
Design and Optimization of a Curved-Crease-Folding Process Applied to a Light Metallic Structure
by Doina Raducanu, Vasile Danut Cojocaru, Vlad Andrei Raducanu, Anna Nocivin, Nicolae Serban, Ion Cinca, Elisabeta Mirela Cojocaru, Laurentiu Moldovan, Corneliu Trisca-Rusu and Irina Varvara Balkan
Processes 2021, 9(7), 1110; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9071110 - 25 Jun 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3020
Abstract
Presently, the realization of complex, unconventional designs using efficient modalities is possible due to an increasing interest in interdisciplinary approaches: materials science, mathematics, IT, architecture, etc. Computerized techniques, among which the algorithmic/generative design is the most advanced one, that are associated with the [...] Read more.
Presently, the realization of complex, unconventional designs using efficient modalities is possible due to an increasing interest in interdisciplinary approaches: materials science, mathematics, IT, architecture, etc. Computerized techniques, among which the algorithmic/generative design is the most advanced one, that are associated with the individualized production methods are used for finding solutions for modern spatial forms with an unconventional spatial geometric shape, which are generically called “free-forms”. This work presents the design, realization and testing of a thin-walled metallic structure proposed as a light structural unit. An integrated research approach was proposed that utilized an algorithmic/digital design applied to the curved-crease-folding method with the study (at different length scales) of the metallic material behaviour after folding. An original method was proposed for the digital design and simulations. The specific mechanical behaviour of the metallic material in the elastic–plastic regime was used in this case to improve the structural performances; mechanical and structural tests were realized to analyse the behaviour of the entire structure. The results are useful for enhancing the accuracy of the digital design, the structural simulation programs and the fabrication methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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24 pages, 3463 KiB  
Article
Modeling and Multi-Criteria Optimization of a Process for H2O2 Electrosynthesis
by Martin von Kurnatowski and Michael Bortz
Processes 2021, 9(2), 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr9020399 - 23 Feb 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2600
Abstract
This article introduces a novel laboratory-scale process for the electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The process aims at an energy-efficient, decentralized production, and a mathematical optimization of it is presented. A dynamic, zero-dimensional mathematical model of the reactor [...] Read more.
This article introduces a novel laboratory-scale process for the electrochemical synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The process aims at an energy-efficient, decentralized production, and a mathematical optimization of it is presented. A dynamic, zero-dimensional mathematical model of the reactor is set up in Aspen custom modeler®. The proposed model constitutes a reasonable compromise between complexity and convergence. After thoroughly determining the reaction kinetics by adjustment to experimental data, the reactor unit is embedded in an Aspen Plus® flowsheet in order to investigate its interaction with other unit operations. The downstream contains another custom module for membrane distillation. Electricity appears as a resource in the process, and optimization shows that it reaches product purities of up to 3 wt.-%. Both the process optimization and the adjustment of the reaction kinetics are treated as multi-criteria optimization (MCO) problems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Design and Optimization in Process Engineering)
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