Dual-radiation-chamber coordinated overall energy efficiency scheduling solution for ethylene cracking process regarding multi-parameter setting and multi-flow allocation

Ethylene cracking process is the core production process in ethylene industry,and is paid more attention to reduce high energy consumption.Because of the interdependent relationships between multi-flow allocation and multi-parameter setting in cracking process,it is difficult to find the overall energy efficiency scheduling for the purpose of saving energy.The traditional scheduling solutions with optimal economic benefit are not applicable for energy efficiency scheduling issue due to the neglecting of recycle and lost energy,as well as critical operation parameters as coil outlet pressure(COP)and dilution ratio.In addition,the scheduling solutions mostly regard each cracking furnace as an elementary unit,regardless of the coordinated operation of internal dual radiation chambers(DRC).Therefore,to improve energy utilization and production operation,a novel energy efficiency scheduling solution for ethylene cracking process is proposed in this paper.Specifically,steam heat recycle and exhaust heat loss are considered in cracking process based on 6 types of extreme learning machine(ELM)based cracking models incorporating DRC operation and three operation parameters as coil outlet temperature(COT),COP,and dilution ratio according to semi-mechanism analysis.Then to provide long-term decision-making basis for energy efficiency scheduling,overall energy efficiency indexes,including overall output per unit net energy input(OONE),output-input ratio per unit net energy input(ORNE),exhaust gas heat loss ratio(EGHL),are designed based on input-output analysis in terms of material and energy flows.Finally,a multiobjective evolutionary algorithm based on decomposition(MOEA/D)is employed to solve the formulated multi-objective mixed-integer nonlinear programming(MOMINLP)model.The validities of the proposed scheduling solution are illustrated through a case study.The scheduling results demonstrate that an optimal balance between multi-flow allocation,multi-parameter setting,and DRC coordinated operation is reached,which achieves 3.37%and 2.63%decreases in net energy input for same product output and conversion ratio,as well as the 1.56%decrease in energy loss ratio.

Energy Efficiency Optimization for Heterogeneous Cellular Networks Modeled by Matérn Hard-Core Point Process

The Poisson point process(PPP) has been widely used in wireless network modeling and performance analysis due to the independence between its nodes. Therefore, it may not be a suitable model for many of the exclusive networks between the nodes. This paper analyzes the energy efficiency(EE) and optimizes the two-tier heterogeneous cellular networks(Het Nets). Considering the mutual exclusion between macro base stations(MBSs) distribution, the deployment of MBSs is modeled by the Matérn hard-core point process(MHCPP), and the deployment of pico base stations(PBSs) is modeled by the PPP. We adopt a simple approximation method to study the signal to interference ratio(SIR) distribution in two-tier MHCPP-PPP networks and then derive the coverage probabilities, the average data rates and the energy efficiency of Het Nets. Finally, an optimization algorithm is proposed to improve the EE of Het Nets by controlling the transmit power of PBSs. The simulation results show that the EE of a system can be effectively improved by selecting the appropriate transmit power for the PBSs. In addition, two-tier MHCPP-PPP Het Nets have higher energy efficiency than two-tier PPP-PPP Het Nets.

Discussion on the sweep efficiency of hybrid steam-chemical process in heavy oil reservoirs: An experimental study

Non-condensable gas(NCG),foam and surfactant are the three commonly-used additives in hybrid steam-chemical processes for heavy oil reservoirs.Their application can effectively control the steam injection profile and increase the sweep efficiency.In this paper,the methods of microscale visualized experiment and macroscale 3D experiment are applied to systematically evaluate the areal and vertical sweep efficiencies of different hybrid steam-chemical processes.First,a series of static tests are performed to evaluate the effect of different additives on heavy oil properties.Then,by a series of tests on the microscale visualized model,the areal sweep efficiencies of a baseline steam flooding process and different follow-up hybrid EOR processes are obtained from the collected 2D images.Specifically,they include the hybrid steam-N_(2)process,hybrid steam-N2/foam process,hybrid steam-surfactant process and hybrid steam-N2/foam/surfactant process(N2/foam slug first and steam-surfactant co-injection then).From the results of static tests and visualized micromodels,the pore scale EOR mechanisms and the difference between them can be discussed.For the vertical sweep efficiencies,a macroscale 3D experiment of steam flooding process and a follow-up hybrid EOR process is conducted.Thereafter,combing the macroscale 3D experiment and laboratory-scaled numerical simulation,the vertical and overall sweep efficiencies of different hybrid steam-chemical processes are evaluated.Results indicate that compared with a steam flooding process,the areal sweep efficiency of a hybrid steam-N2process is lower.It is caused by the high mobility ratio in a steam-N2-heavy oil system.By contrast,the enhancement of sweep efficiency by a hybrid steam-N2/foam/surfactant process is the highest.It is because of the high resistance capacity of NCG foam system and the performance of surfactant.Specifically,a surfactant can interact with the oil film in chief zone and reduce the interfacial energy,and thus the oil droplets/films formed during steam injection stage are unlocked.For NCG foam,it can plug the chief steam flow zone and thus the subsequent injected steam is re-directed.Simultaneously,from the collected 2D images,it is also observed that the reservoir microscopic heterogeneity can have an important effect on their sweep efficiencies.From the 3D experiment and laboratory-scaled numerical simulation,it is found that a N2/foam slug can increase the thermal front angle by about 150 and increase the vertical sweep efficiency by about 26%.Among the four processes,a multiple hybrid EOR process(steam-N2/foam/surfactant process) is recommended than the other ones.This paper provides a novel method to systematically evaluate the sweep efficiency of hybrid steam-chemical process and some new insights on the mechanisms of sweep efficiency enhancement are also addressed.It can benefit the expansion of hybrid steam-chemical processes in the post steamed heavy oil reservoirs.

Agronomic management practices in dryland wheat result in variations in precipitation use efficiency due to their differential impacts on the steps in the precipitation use process

Yield loss due to low precipitation use efficiency(PUE)occurs frequently in dryland crop production.PUE is determined by a complicated process of precipitation use in farmland,which includes several sequential steps:precipitation infiltrates into the soil,the infiltrated precipitation is stored in soil,the soil-stored precipitation is consumed through transpiration or evaporation,transpired precipitation is used to produce dry-matter,and finally dry-matter is re-allocated to grains.These steps can be quantified by six ratios:precipitation infiltration ratio(SW/SWe;SW,total available water;SWe,available soil water storage at the end of a specific period),precipitation storage ratio(SWe/P;P,effective precipitation),precipitation consumption ratio(ET/SW;ET,evapotranspiration),ratio of crop transpiration to evapotranspiration(T/ET;T,crop transpiration),transpiration efficiency(B/T;B,the increment of shoot biomass)and harvest index(Y/B;Y,grain yield).The final efficiency is then calculated as:PUE=SWe/P×SW/SWe×ET/SW×T/ET×B/T×Y/B.Quantifying each of those ratios is crucial for the planning and execution of PUE improvements and for optimizing the corresponding agronomic practices in a specific agricultural system.In this study,those ratios were quantified and evaluated under four integrated agronomic management systems.Our study revealed that PUE and wheat yield were significantly increased by 8–31%under manure(MIS)or biochar(BIS)integrated systems compared to either conventional farmers’(CF)or high N(HN)integrated systems.In the infiltration and storage steps,MIS and BIS resulted in lower SWe/P but higher SW/SWe compared with CF and HN.Regarding the consumption step,the annual ET/SW under MIS and BIS did not increase due to the higher ET after regreening and the lower ET before regreening compared with CF or HN.The T/ET was significantly higher under MIS and BIS than under CF or HN.In the last two steps,transpiration efficiency and harvest index were less strongly affected by the agronomic management system,although both values varied considerably across the different experimental years.Therefore,attempts to achieve higher PUE and yields in rainfed wheat through agronomic management should focus on increasing the T/ET and SW/SWe,while maintaining ET/SW throughout the year and keeping SWe/P relatively low at harvest time.

Culture-related differences in process efficiency in corporations as a competitive factor

This paper focuses on cultural influences on the effectiveness of organizational processes in companies. At this time, there is a predominant emphasis on culture-related differences of processes and workflows in companies in the main body of articles on cross-cultural management research. This paper proposes an extension of these research efforts in that case that the different efficiencies of these processes, resulting from cultural influences, should be examined in more detail. Based on the beginnings of organizational theory and with practical examples, it has been already verified that cultural influences shape organizational structures as well as organizational processes. This kind of fact should lead to the assumption that these cultural influences should also create differences in their efficiency, depending on what kind of culture the companies are. These differences in efficiency can be regarded as opportunities for success from which further competitive advantages can be derived. As that the examination of differences in efficiency of processes is still a rarity in the field of cross-cultural management research this should be developed further.

THE EXERGETIC EFFICIENCY OF MSF PROCESS AND THE CONDITIONS OF DESALINATION BY WASTE HEAT

The exergy losses and thermodynamic efficiency of MSF plant with brine recirculation are discussed bymeans of temperature difference functions proposed by the auther.In a MSF plant,the irreversible losses are found mainly in irreversible heat-transfer and flash evaporationprocesses.However,the basic variables are the temperature drop from stage to stage and the temperaturedifferences between flashed vapor and cooling water.In this paper,the flash temperature difference func-tion,the heat transfer temperature difference function and the total temperature difference function are sug-gested.The proposed temperature difference functions of MSF plant provide a convenient tool to analyse theirreversible behavior and evaluate the exergetic efficiency of this system,because without such improvement thecalculation of the exergetic efficiency of a MSF plant according to the classical formula will be not onlyinconvenient but also insignificant.As a result of present analysis,the reasonable parameters based on theenergy consumption are easily chosen.The above-mentioned principles are confirmed by commercial plants and a pilot plant in Tianjin.

Optimal Size for Maximal Energy Efficiency in Information Processing of Biological Systems Due to Bistability

Energy efficiency is closely related to the evolution of biological systems and is important to their information processing. In this work, we calculate the excitation probability of a simple model of a bistable biological unit in response to pulsatile inputs, and its spontaneous excitation rate due to noise perturbation. Then we analytically calculate the mutual information, energy cost, and energy efficiency of an array of these bistable units. We find that the optimal number of units could maximize this array＇s energy efficiency in encoding pulse inputs, which depends on the fixed energy cost. We conclude that demand for energy efficiency in biological systems may strongly influence the size of these systems under the pressure of natural selection.

Research on the Definition and Influence of New Production of Ship Industry Index of Energy Efficiency on the Ship Design Process

In this paper, we conduct research on the definition and influence of new production of ship industry index of energy efficiency on the ship design process. Ship energy saving is the key to energy saving ship form optimization design. In the ship under the conditions of use, and to optimize the design of the hull lines with boat, minimize the ship resistance, with the final choice of ship host fuel-sipping. Our research combine the characteristics of the energy efficiency with the shipbuilding industry with the novel and innovative design pattern which will be meaningful.

Crossing the Growth Threshold： Service-Based Economy, Knowledge Process and Reshaping of Efficiency Model

The transition from middle-income to high-income stage is fraught with risks of growth divergence. Economic transition is clouded by the following possibilities： （1）falling share of industrial seetor through industrial depression and weakening growth momentum caused by the large urbanization costs; （2） the subordination of service sector as a result of nearly irreversibly industrial professional, which falters the process of service sector transition and upgrading,＂ （3） inefficient knowledge production allocation and human capital upgrade due to the absence of incentivized compensation of knowledge consumption. We suggest that a country should reshape its efficiency model by upgrading knowledge factor and human capital as the pre-requisite. Given the dilemmas of transition, China should take the faetorization trend of service sector and reshape efficiency model through institutional reform, ensuring that service sector will develop in tandem with industrial sector.

Research on the Definition and Influence of New Production of Ship Industry Index of Energy Efficiency on the Ship Design Process

In this paper, we conduct research on the definition and influence of new production of ship industry index of energy efficiency on the ship design process. Ship energy saving is the key to energy saving ship form optimization design. In the ship under the conditions of use, and to optimize the design of the hull lines with boat, minimize the ship resistance, with the final choice of ship host fuel-sipping. Our research combine the characteristics of the energy efficiency with the shipbuilding industry with the novel and innovative design pattern which will be meaningful.

Improved efficiency and stability of inverse perovskite solar cells via passivation cleaning

Amidst the global energy and environmental crisis,the quest for efficient solar energy utilization intensifies.Perovskite solar cells,with efficiencies over 26%and cost-effective production,are at the forefront of research.Yet,their stability remains a barrier to industrial application.This study introduces innovative strategies to enhance the stability of inverted perovskite solar cells.By bulk and surface passivation,defect density is reduced,followed by a"passivation cleaning"using Apacl amino acid salt and isopropyl alcohol to refine film surface quality.Employing X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscope(SEM),and atomic force microscopy(AFM),we confirmed that this process effectively neutralizes surface defects and curbs non-radiative recombination,achieving 22.6%efficiency for perovskite solar cells with the composition Cs_(0.15)FA_(0.85)PbI_(3).Crucially,the stability of treated cells in long-term tests has been markedly enhanced,laying groundwork for industrial viability.

A Review of Energy Efficiency in Data Processing Centers

This article explores, through a case study, measures of energy efficiency in data processing centers. An analysis of this case demonstrates how the design criteria could improve the rate of consumption in IT centers, which is currently the second most contaminating industry on the planet, and is the responsible for 2% of CO2 emissions, surpassed only by the aeronautical industry. The present and future situation of IT center energy consumption and associated environmental effects is analyzed, and also looks at how state-of-the-art technology, correctly implemented, could ensure significant rationalization of data processing center energy consumption. The article will examine optimization techniques, specific problems and case studies.

Energy Efficiency Evaluation Based on Data Envelopment Analysis Integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process in Ethylene Production

Energy efficiency data from ethylene production equipment are of high dimension, dynamic and time sequential, so their evaluation is affected by many factors. Abnormal data from ethylene production are eliminated through consistency test, making the data consumption uniform to improve the comparability of data. Due to the limit of input and output data of decision making unit in data envelopment analysis(DEA), the energy efficiency data from the same technology in a certain year are disposed monthly using DEA. The DEA data of energy efficiency from the same technology are weighted and fused using analytic hierarchy process. The energy efficiency data from different technologies are evaluated by their relative effectiveness to find the direction of energy saving and consumption reduction.

Electroless Plating of Palladium Membranes on Porous Substrates for Hydrogen Separation and the Effects of Process Factors on Plating Rate and Efficiency: A Review

The electroless plating of palladium and palladium alloy membranes is fast becoming an important and enabling technology. This is more so when juxtaposed with the rising demand for high purity hydrogen for applications particularly in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The effect of process factors such as sensitization and activation during surface modification, concentration of the reducing agent, plating temperature, time, pH, additives, air aeration on plating efficiency, quality of the palladium film and deposit morphology is reviewed with the aim of identifying areas requiring further investigation. The paper also reviews how these process factors could be optimised for better plating efficiency and overall membrane quality. The concentration of the reducing agent has been identified as the limiting factor on plating efficiency albeit other process factors separately impact on the plating efficiency. Furthermore, bulk precipitation caused by concentration of the reducing agent has been identified as a major problem during electroless plating with hydrazine based plating baths. To ameliorate this problem, a multi step addition of the hydrazine reducer in separate portions has been recommended.

The Effect of Lignification Process on the Bioconversion Efficiency in Moso Bamboo

Recalcitrance of lignocellulosic biomass is closely related to the presence of lignin in secondary cell walls,which has a negative effect on enzyme digestibility,biomass-to-biofuels conversion,and chemical pulping.The lignification process and structural heterogeneity of the cell wall for various parts of moso bamboo were investigated.There were slight differences among three different column parts of moso bamboo in terms of chemical compositions,including cellulose,hemicelluloses,and lignin.However,the detailed analysis of the fractionated lignin indicated that the acid-soluble lignin was first biosynthesized,and the largest molecular weight value was detected from the bottom part of the moso bamboo,as well as the highest syringyl-to-guaiacyl ratio.Although the main b-O-4 aryl ethers and resinol structures were clearly present in all lignin samples examined by NMR analysis,the relatively small lignin biomacromolecule in the top part of the moso bamboo lead to poor thermal stability.For the bioconversion process,no significant difference was found among all the moso bamboo samples,and the relatively higher hydrolysis efficiency was largely dependent on the low crystallinity of cellulose rather than the degree of lignin biosynthesis.

Effect of Emergency Care Process Optimization on Rescue Efficiency of Emergency Patients

Objective: This paper discusses the impact of emergency care process optimization on the rescue efficiency of emergency patients. Methods: 102 cases of emergency patients received from January 2017 to February 2018 in our hospital were selected as research objects. According to the order of treatment, they were divided into control group and observation group. The routine nursing process was given to the control group, and the observation group was given an optimized nursing process to compare the rescue efficiency and nursing satisfaction of the two groups. Results: According to the results of the study, the nursing satisfaction of the two groups was compared. Among them, the total satisfaction of the observation group was 49, accounting for 96.07%;the control group was very satisfied with the nursing work, accounting for 82.35%. There was a significant difference in nursing satisfaction between the two groups, which was statistically significant (P<0.05). Comparing the rescue efficiency of the two groups of patients, the observation time, rescue time, infusion time and disease remission time were significantly lower than the control group, the rescue success rate was 94.11%, and the rescue success rate of the control group was 78.43%. The results have statistical significance (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The optimization of emergency nursing process can greatly improve the rescue efficiency of emergency patients, reduce the disability rate and mortality, improve the quality of nursing, and enhance the satisfaction of nursing. It is worthy of clinical promotion practice.

Weighting indicators of building energy efficiency assessment taking account of experts' priority

Analytic hierarchy process(Group AHP) is combined with two different methods of assigning experts' priority to weight indicators in building energy efficiency assessment.One is to assign the experts' priority averagely,and the other is to use cluster analysis to assign experts' priority.The results show that,1) Different expert's priority assigns result in great different weights of indicators in building energy efficiency assessment,therefore,the method of assigning experts' priority should be taken into account carefully while weighting indicators of building energy efficiency assessment using Group AHP;2) Three indicators are found to be overwhelmingly important in residential building energy efficiency assessment in the hot summer and cold winter zone in China.They are 'Outdoor & indoor shadow','Heating & air-conditioning facilities' and 'Insulation of envelope';3) The method combining cluster analysis with Group AHP to weight indicator of building energy efficiency assessment has the advantage of finding overwhelming important indicator,whereas,some less important indicators have a tendency to be ignored.A useful reference is provided for building energy conservation including policy revision and energy efficient residential building design.

Field performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation on tomato crop growth, yield, water use efficiency, quality and profitability

Sustainable irrigation method is now essential for adaptation and adoption in the areas where water resources are limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to test the performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation（AWDFI） on crop growth, yield, water use efficiency（WUE）, fruit quality and profitability analysis of tomato. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with six treatments replicated thrice during the dry seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Irrigation water was applied through three ways of furrow： AWDFI, fixed wetting and drying furrow irrigation（FWDFI） and traditional（every） furrow irrigation（TFI）. Each irrigation method was divided into two levels： irrigation up to 100 and 80% field capacity（FC）. Results showed that plant biomass（dry matter） and marketable fruit yield of tomato did not differ significantly between the treatments of AWDFI and TFI, but significant difference was observed in AWDFI and in TFI compared to FWDFI at same irrigation level. AWDFI saved irrigation water by 35 to 38% for the irrigation levels up to 80 and 100% FC, compared to the TFI, respectively. AWDFI improved WUE by around 37 to 40% compared to TFI when irrigated with 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Fruit quality（total soluble solids and pulp） was found greater in AWDFI than in TFI. Net return from AWDFI technique was found nearly similar compared to TFI and more than FWDFI. The benefit cost ratio was viewed higher in AWDFI than in TFI and FWDFI by 2.8, 8.7 and 11, 10.4% when irrigation water was applied up to 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Unit production cost was obtained lower in AWDFI compared to TFI and FWDFI. However, AWDFI is a useful water-saving furrow irrigation technique which may resolve as an alternative choice compared with TFI in the areas where available water and supply methods are limited to irrigation.

Water transport and water use efficiency differ among Populus euphratica Oliv. saplings exposed to saline water irrigation

Populus euphratica Oliv.is a unique woody tree that can be utilized for vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas.The effects of saline water irrigation(0.00, 2.93, 8.78 and 17.55 g/L NaCl solutions) on water transport and water use efficiency(WUE) of P.euphratica saplings were researched for improving the survival of P.euphratica saplings and vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas of Xinjiang, China in 2011.Results showed that hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to cavitation of P.euphratica saplings were more sensitive in root xylem than in twig xylem when irrigation water salinity increased.Irrigation with saline water concentration less than 8.78 g/L did not affect the growth of P.euphratica saplings, under which they maintained normal water transport in twig xylem through adjustment of anatomical structure of vessels and kept higher WUE and photosynthesis in leaves through adjustment of stomata.However, irrigation with saline water concentration up to 17.55 g/L severely inhibited the photochemical process and WUE of P.euphratica saplings, resulting in severe water-deficit in leaves and a sharp reduction in water transport in xylem.Thus, it is feasible to irrigate P.euphratica forest by using saline groundwater for improving the survival of P.euphratica saplings and vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas of Xinjiang, China.

Optimizing Healthcare Big Data Processing with Containerized PySpark and Parallel Computing: A Study on ETL Pipeline Efficiency

In this study, we delve into the realm of efficient Big Data Engineering and Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) processes within the healthcare sector, leveraging the robust foundation provided by the MIMIC-III Clinical Database. Our investigation entails a comprehensive exploration of various methodologies aimed at enhancing the efficiency of ETL processes, with a primary emphasis on optimizing time and resource utilization. Through meticulous experimentation utilizing a representative dataset, we shed light on the advantages associated with the incorporation of PySpark and Docker containerized applications. Our research illuminates significant advancements in time efficiency, process streamlining, and resource optimization attained through the utilization of PySpark for distributed computing within Big Data Engineering workflows. Additionally, we underscore the strategic integration of Docker containers, delineating their pivotal role in augmenting scalability and reproducibility within the ETL pipeline. This paper encapsulates the pivotal insights gleaned from our experimental journey, accentuating the practical implications and benefits entailed in the adoption of PySpark and Docker. By streamlining Big Data Engineering and ETL processes in the context of clinical big data, our study contributes to the ongoing discourse on optimizing data processing efficiency in healthcare applications. The source code is available on request.