Optimizing Bucket Elevator Performance through a Blend of Discrete Element Method, Response Surface Methodology, and Firefly Algorithm Approaches

This research introduces a novel approach to enhancing bucket elevator design and operation through the integration of discrete element method(DEM)simulation,design of experiments(DOE),and metaheuristic optimization algorithms.Specifically,the study employs the firefly algorithm(FA),a metaheuristic optimization technique,to optimize bucket elevator parameters for maximizing transport mass and mass flow rate discharge of granular materials under specified working conditions.The experimental methodology involves several key steps:screening experiments to identify significant factors affecting bucket elevator operation,central composite design(CCD)experiments to further explore these factors,and response surface methodology(RSM)to create predictive models for transport mass and mass flow rate discharge.The FA algorithm is then applied to optimize these models,and the results are validated through simulation and empirical experiments.The study validates the optimized parameters through simulation and empirical experiments,comparing results with DEM simulation.The outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of the FA algorithm in identifying optimal bucket parameters,showcasing less than 10%and 15%deviation for transport mass and mass flow rate discharge,respectively,between predicted and actual values.Overall,this research provides insights into the critical factors influencing bucket elevator operation and offers a systematic methodology for optimizing bucket parameters,contributing to more efficient material handling in various industrial applications.

Optimization of Preparation of Oregano Oil Microspheres by Box-Behnken Response Surface Methodology

[Objectives]To optimize the formulation and preparation of oregano oil microspheres by Box-Behnken response surface methodology.[Methods]Chitosan was used as the carrier material to prepare oregano oil microspheres by emulsion crosslinking method.The encapsulation efficiency,drug loading and ID 50 were used as the evaluation indicators,and the comprehensive score(OD)obtained by"coefficient of variation-AHP comprehensive weighting method"was used as the final evaluation indicator.The formulation design and preparation process were optimized by single factor experiment and Box-Behnken response surface methodology,and the optimal process parameters were determined.[Results]The optimal formulation and preparation process parameters of oregano oil microspheres were as follows:the ratio of oregano oil to chitosan was 2∶1,the emulsifying speed of double emulsion was 200 r/min,the amount of emulsifier in the colostrum was 4%,and the volume of curing agent was 1.0 mL.The average encapsulation efficiency was 45.33%±1.32%,the average drug loading was 30.59%±2.45%,and the median diameter(ID 50)was 52.596μm±0.023%.[Conclusions]The encapsulation efficiency,drug loading and ID 50 of oregano oil chitosan microspheres prepared by emulsion crosslinking method met the requirements.The drug-loaded microsphere not only can be used as a preparation finished product for direct application,but also be used as a product intermediate to lay a foundation for the research and development of subsequent dosage forms.

Optimization of Preparation Conditions of Modified Oyster Shell Powder/Ce-N-TiO2 by Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

A new composite photocatalyst of modified oyster shell powder/Ce-N-TiO2 was prepared by sol-gel method. Based on single factor experiment, Ce doping rate, N doping rate and calcination temperature were taken as input variables. Based on the central composite design (BBD) response surface model, two functional relationship models between three independent variables and glyphosate removal rate were established to evaluate the influence degree of independent variables and interaction on catalyst. The significance of the model and regression coefficient was tested by variance analysis. The analysis of the obtained data showed that the degradation performance of the composite photocatalyst was significantly affected by the calcination temperature and the rate of N doping, while the rate of Ce doping had little effect;at the calcination temperature of 505.440°C, the degradation rate of glyphosate reached the maximum of 82.15% under the preparation conditions of 17.057 mol% N doping and 0.165 mol% Ce doping, respectively.

Effects of main ecological factors on the growth of marine green alga Caulerpa sertularioides using the response surface methodology

Caulerpa sertularioides is an invasive potential blooming green alga in China but it remains poorly studied.We studied the effects of ecological factors on its growth.Optimum conditions of ecological factors,i.e.,irradiance,temperature,and salinity,for the growth of its fragments were determined in the response surface methodology(RSM).The specific growth rates(SGR)of the fragments were determined in single-factor experiment.The results show that the SGR of C.sertularioides peaked under the conditions of irradiance 37.5μmol/(m~2·s),temperature25℃,and salinity 30.Meanwhile,using the Box-Behnken design,the conditions were further optimized and verified to be:irradiance 39.03μmol/(m~2·s),temperature 25.29℃,and salinity 30.06,under which the SGR reached 4.66%.The results provide new theoretical data and solutions for the cultivation,invasion prediction,and monitoring of Caulerpa species in China and the world.The RSM method may have great potential applications in the environmental adaptation characteristics of new macroalgal cultivars,intensive orientation cultured germplasm,and environmental hazard analysis of cultivated species in the field.

Mechanical and Permeability Analysis and Optimization of Recycled Aggregate Pervious Concrete Based on Response Surface Method

In this paper,the effects of different influencing factors and factor interaction on the compressive strength and permeability of recycled aggregate pervious concrete(RAPC)were studied based on the response surface method(RSM).By selecting the maximum aggregate size,water cement ratio and target porosity as design variables,combined with laboratory tests and numerical analysis,the influences of three factors on the compressive strength and permeability coefficient of RAPC were revealed.The regression equation of compressive strength and permeability coefficient of recycled aggregate pervious concrete were established based on RSM,and the response surface model was optimized to determine the optimal ratio of RAPC under the conditions of meeting the mechanical and permeability properties.The results show that the mismatch item of the model is not significant,the model is credible,and the accuracy and reliability of the test are high,but the degree of uncorrelation between the test data and the model is not obvious.The sensitivity of the three factors to the compressive strength is water cement ratio>maximum coarse aggregate particle size>target porosity,and the sensitivity to the permeability coefficient is target porosity>maximum coarse aggregate particle size>water cement ratio.The absolute errors of the model prediction results and the model optimization results are 1.28 MPa and 0.19 mm/s,and the relative errors are 5.06%and 4.19%,respectively.With high accuracy,RSM can match the measured results of compressive strength and permeability coefficient of RAPC.

Optimization for Microbial Degumming of Ramie with Bacillus subtilis DZ_(5) in Submerged Fermentation by Orthogonal Array Design and Response Surface Methodology

As a kind of natural fiber,ramie fiber has distinctive advantages in textile application,but the application is limited due to the traditional degumming mode.Compared with the traditional degumming process,the microbial degumming process has many advantages.To obtain the optimal conditions for degumming ramie with Bacillus subtilis DZ_(5)(BS DZ_(5)),a combined statistical approach of orthogonal array design(OAD)and response surface methodology(RSM)was used.The influences of initial pH of the bacteria medium,culture temperature,shaking speed,degumming time and inoculum size on submerged fermentation degumming were evaluated by using fractional factorial design.The main factors in the analysis were culture temperature,shaking speed and initial pH.The residual gum mass fraction was used as the optimization index,and the optimal conditions for degumming were determined by central composite design and RSM.Thus with only a limited number of experiments,an optimal ramie microbial degumming condition was found as the culture temperature of 40℃,the initial pH in the culture medium of 8.5,the shaking speed of 205 r/min,the degumming time of 96 h and the inoculum size of 5%.After microbial degumming of ramie under the optimal conditions,there was only 10.6%residual gum by mass in the fiber.In addition,the effective degumming of BS DZ_(5)was also confirmed by a scanning electron microscope(SEM).

Optimization of Solid-state Fermentation Conditions of Sophora japonica cv.jinhuai by Response Surface Methodology

[Objectives]To optimize the solid-state fermentation process of Flos Sophorae Immaturus by Penicillium with Sophora japonica cv.jinhuai as raw material.[Methods]The fermentation conditions were optimized by single factor experiment and response surface methodology with quercetin content as the dependent variable.[Results]According to the established model,the optimal fermentation process of Flos Sophorae Immaturus was obtained as follows:temperature 29.97℃,time 6.88 d,rotation speed 180.86 rpm,inoculation amount 3.93 mL,and the expected content of quercetin was 34.8053 mg/g.Based on this,the fermentation parameters were adjusted,and the actual content was 33.67 mg/g,which was close to the predicted value.[Conclusions]The optimization of fermentation process of Flos Sophorae Immaturus by response surface methodology provides a reference for the development and utilization of this medicinal material.

Optimisation of beef tenderisation treated with bromelain using response surface methodology (RSM)

The purpose of this study is to determine the optimum condition for the tenderization of beef by bromelain using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Initially, bromelain powder was produced from pineapple crown of variety N36. Production of the bromelain powder involves several process steps such as extraction, purification, desalting and freeze drying. The cube size beef of round part was treated with bromelain at different pHs of beef, immersion temperatures, bromelain solution concentrations, and immersion times according to the experimental design which was recommended by RSM of MINITAB software version 15. Beef tenderness was then measured by Texture Analyser. The MINITAB software Version 15 was used to optimise the tenderisation of beef by bromelain. The determination coefficient R2 was 99.97% meaning that the experimental data were acceptable. It was found that beef could be optimize tenderised 89.907% at the optimum condition at pH of beef of 5.4, immersion temperature of60℃, bromelain solution concentration of 0.1682% and immersion time of 10 minutes. The verification value of beef ten-derisation at the feasible optimum condition which was determined by experiment was 89.571%. Since the difference between the veri- fication and predicted values was less than 5%, therefore, the optimum condition for the tenderisation of beef predicted by MINITAB software Version 15 could be accepted.

Optimization of medium components using response surface methodology (RSM) for mycelium biomass and exopolysaccharide production by <i>Lentinus squarrosulus</i>

The interaction between sucrose, yeast extract and initial pH was investigated to optimize critical medium components for mycelium biomass and production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) of Lentinus squarrosulus using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A central composite design (CCD) was applied and a polynomial regression model with quadratic term was used to analyse the experimental data using analysis of variance (ANOVA). ANOVA analysis showed that the model was very significant (p Lentinus squarrosulus are as follows: sucrose concentration 114.61 g/L, yeast extract 1.62 g/L and initial pH of 5.81;sucrose concentration 115.8 g/L, yeast extract of 3.39 g/L and initial pH of 6.44 respectively.

Optimization of a continuous ultrasound assisted oxidative desulfurization(UAOD) process of diesel using response surface methodology(RSM) considering operating cost

A continuous-flow ultrasound-assisted oxidative desulfurization(UAOD)of partially hydro-treated diesel has been investigated using hydrogen peroxide-formic acid as simple and easy to apply oxidation system.The effects of different operating parameters of oxidation stage including residence time(2–24 min),formic acid to sulfur molar ratio(10–150),and oxidant to sulfur molar ratio(5–35)on the sulfur removal have been studied using response surface methodology(RSM)based on Box–Behnken design.Considering the operating costs of the continuous-flow oxidation stage including chemical and electrical energy consumption,the appropriate values of operating parameters were selected as follows:residence time of 16 min,the formic acid to sulfur molar ratio of 54.47,and the oxidant to sulfur molar ratio of 8.24.In these conditions,the sulfur removal and the volume ratio of the hydrocarbon phase to the aqueous phase were 86.90%and 4.34,respectively.By drastic reduction in the chemical consumption in the oxidation stage,the volume ratio of the hydrocarbon phase to the aqueous phase was increased up to 10.Therefore,the formic acid to sulfur molar ratio and the oxidant to sulfur molar ratio were obtained 23.64 and 3.58,respectively,which lead to sulfur removal of 84.38%with considerable improvements on the operating cost of oxidation stage in comparison with the previous works.

Cr(Ⅲ) removal from simulated solution using hydrous magnesium oxide coated fly ash： Optimization by response surface methodology (RSM)

Hydrous magnesium oxide coated fly ash （MFA） has environmental remediation potential by providing a sub- strate for the adsorption of aqueous Cr（Ⅲ）. Aqueous Cr（Ⅲ） adsorption onto MFA was examined as a function of MFA dosage, pH and initial Cr（Ⅲ） concentration with the Box-Behnken approach used for experimental design and optimization using response surface methodology （RSM）. pH and dosage （dosage and concentration） have significant interactive effects on Cr（Ⅲ） adsorption efficiency. Analysis of variance shows that the response surface quadratic model is highly significant and can effectively predict the experimental outcomes. Cr（Ⅲ） removal effi- ciency of 98% was obtained using optimized conditions of MFA dosage, pH and initial Cr（Ⅲ） concentration of 1,5 7 g. L- 1, 4.11 and 126 mg. L- 1, respectively. Cr（Ⅲ） adsorption onto MFA is mainly attributed to the interaction between Or（Ⅲ） and the functional group --OH of the hydrous magnesium oxide, in all probability caused by chemisorptions. The results of this study can conduce to reveal the interactions between Cr（Ⅲ） pollutant and MFA characteristics, posing important implications for the cost-effective alternative adsorption technology in the treatment of heavy metal containing wastewater.

Removal of Fluoride from Water Using Mesoporous MCM-41: An Optimization Approach Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Fluoride above 1.5 mg·L-1 is injurious to health. Removal of fluoride from water using mesoporous MCM-41 as a strong adsorbent material has been attempted. Characterization using transmission electron microscopic study of calcined MCM-41 showed the regular hexagonal array of mesoporous channels with an average size of 20 nm and the surface area (BET study) of 1306.96 m2·g-1. The average pore size of the particles was found to be 14.21 nm. A study on the effect of contact time on the removal of fluoride revealed that more than 85% uptake of fluoride onto MCM-41 was achieved at a contact time of 120 min. From the Langmuir adsorption study, the maximum sorption capacity of fluoride was found to be 63.05 mg/g at 301 K. From the thermodynamic study, the +ΔHo value of 2.29 kJ·mol-1 indicated the endothermic nature of the removal process. Application of Response Surface Model suggested that 77.88% of fluoride removal can be achieved at fluoride concentration of 10 mg·L-1, pH (6.3), and contact time of 120 min.

Optimization of Multigrain Premix for High Protein and Dietary Fibre Biscuits Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

In order to improve the nutritional quality of biscuits, a multigrain premix (MGP) was developed by using whole barley, sorghum, chickpea, pea and defatted soya flour, each at 20% level. The developed MGP had 26.28% protein, 10.13% insoluble dietary fiber and 7.38% soluble dietary fiber. The experiment was designed to optimise the MGP and wheat flour concentration for the development of multigrain biscuits with high protein, dietary fibre and to maximize the acceptability by the application of central composite rotatable design (CCRD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The levels of incorporation of MGP and wheat flour were taken as variables whereas protein, soluble, insoluble fibers, biscuit dough hardness, breaking strength and overall acceptability (OAA) as responses. The optimum level of MGP and wheat flour obtained using numerical optimization was found to be 40 g and 60 g respectively. The biscuits prepared using these had 16.61% protein, 2.57% soluble fibre, and 6.67% insoluble fibre which is significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher than control biscuit.

Synthesis of Poly(AAm-<i>co</i>-AA) and Investigation of its Swelling Behavior: Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM)

Unwanted water production together with oil and gas production is a striking problem in oil and gas industries, and many approaches have been examined to overcome this major problem. Preformed particle gels (PPGs) showed dramatically good properties for this purpose in mature oil and gas reservoirs. In this study, we carefully synthesized an efficient series of PPGs with using a design of experiments (DOE) software. Acrylamide (AAm)/Acrylic acid (AA) mole ratio, N,N’-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) mole percentage and swelling time were considered as key parameters to examine PPG swelling behavior. Our results presented a detailed empirical correlation, which could significantly predict the swelling capacity of PPGs in CaCl2 salt solution (200,000 ppm).

One-step process for production of biodiesel from Jatropha curcas L. seeds： Optimization using Response Surface Methodology （RSM）

Jatropha curcas L. （JCL） seeds were extracted and transesterified in-situ using supercritical methanol extraction in the absence of catalyst at different temperatures （200-280℃） and pressures （8-12 MPa）, and at a fixed reaction time of 30 min with seeds-to-methanol ratio of 1：40 w/v. Design of experiment approach using five-level-two-factors design of Response Surface Methodology （RSM） was used to observe the effect of two independent variables i.e. temperature and pressure and the percent of biodiesel yield which required 13 runs. For optimization of the variables, Central Composite Rotatable Design （CCRD） was used for regression analysis and analysis of variance （ANOVA）. The optimize conditions suggested by RSM were at T = 280℃ and P = 12.04 MPa. The predicted and experimental biodicsel yields were found to be 56.8% and 59.9%, respectively, with relatively small deviation errors of 1.59%.

Overview on Application of Response Surface Methodology （RSM） in Treatment of Palm Oil Mill Effluent （POME）

There are many factors affecting the performance of a treatment system especially in the treatment of palm oil mill effluent （POME） as its contains high amounts of suspended solid, low pH, high salt content and high chemical oxygen demand （COD）. However, one factor at a time approach is complicated method in establishing relationship between multiple parameters. Response surface methodology （RSM） is a recommended approach as it is widely used to analyze and study the interactions between multiple parameters and provides optimum output as well as minimizing the defects which result in good treatment system. This paper overviews the recent and current research in the application of RSM in optimizing the treatment development of POME.

Optimization of Microwave Extraction of Flavonoids from Water Chestnut Skin Dregs with Response Surface Method

[Objective] In order to take full advantage of processing by-product of water chestnut, the microwave extraction method of flavonoids from water chestnut skin dregs was optimized. The extracted flavonoids had a relatively high yield. [Method] The Box-Behnken design-based response surface method was adopted to optimize the microwave extraction of flavonoids from water chestnut skin dregs, a by-product of water chestnut starch. The mathematical relationships between various influencing factors and flavonoids yield were established. [Result] The optimum extraction conditions of flavonoids from water chestnut skin dregs were as follows： ethanol concentration of 55.4%, solid/liquid ratio of 1：30 g/ml, microwave power of 320 W, microwave time of 3 min and microwave time of 2 times. Under the optimum extraction conditions, the theoretical flavonoids yield was 2.376%. However, the actual flavonoids yield under the optimum extraction conditions was 2.365%. The relative error between actual values and theoretically predicted values was 0.461%. [Conclusion] The results showed the optimized extraction method is reliable, and it can provide a reference for the comprehensive and highly efficient utilization of water chestnut processing wastes.

Response surface optimization of microwave-assisted extraction for HPLC-fluorescence determination of puerarin and daidzein in Radix Puerariae thomsonii

Microwave-assisted extraction was optimized with response surface methodology for HPLC-fluorescence determination of puerarin and daidzein in Radix Puerariae thomsonii.The optimized extraction procedure was achieved by soaking the sample with 70% methanol（1∶15,v/v）for 30 min,and then microwave irradiation for 11 min at a power of 600 W.Coupling the extraction process with HPLC-fluorescence presented good recovery,satisfactory precision,and good linear relation.Compared with a method from the Chinese Pharmacopoeia,the proposed method enables higher extraction efficiency and more accurate analytical results.It can be of potential value in quality assessment of Radix Puerariae thomsonii medicinal materials.

Response surface method using grey relational analysis for decision making in weapon system selection

A proper weapon system is very important for a na- tional defense system. Generally, it means selecting the optimal weapon system among many alternatives, which is a multiple- attribute decision making （MADM） problem. This paper proposes a new mathematical model based on the response surface method （RSM） and the grey relational analysis （GRA）. RSM is used to obtain the experimental points and analyze the factors that have a significant impact on the selection results. GRA is used to an- alyze the trend relationship between alternatives and reference series. And then an RSM model is obtained, which can be used to calculate all alternatives and obtain ranking results. A real world application is introduced to illustrate the utilization of the model for the weapon selection problem. The results show that this model can be used to help decision-makers to make a quick comparison of alternatives and select a proper weapon system from multiple alternatives, which is an effective and adaptable method for solving the weapon system selection problem.

Optimization of Inactivation Conditions of High Hydrostatic Pressure Using Response Surface Methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed in the present work and a second orderquadratic equation for high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) inactivation was built. Theadequacy of the model equation for predicting the optimum response values was verifiedeffectively by the validation data. Effects of temperature, pressure, and pressureholding time on HHP inactivation of Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 were explored. Byanalyzing the response surface plots and their corresponding contour plots as well assolving the quadratic equation, the optimum process parameters for inactivation E. coliof six log cycles were obtained as: temperature 32.2℃, pressure 346.4 MPa, and pressureholding time 12.6min.