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[EN] The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework to facilitate academics and practitioners decision making related to multi-objective facility layout planning (mFLP) by employing a bottom-up approach. Based on a literature survey framed in the mFLP context, this work identified and discussed a set of criteria that have become limitations of the traditional top-down approach. These criteria served as the basis to conceive the proposed conceptual framework. Our conceptual framework formalises FLP as a multi-objective problem by following the two traditional planning phases (block- and detailed phase) in reverse by a bottom-up approach, and by also integrating a third phase, called the refined phase, which has not previously been contemplated in the literature. Apart from identifying the inputs and outputs of each phase, the conceptual framework groups together several objectives related to mFLP that have been recently considered in the literature and formalises and contextualises them according to the planning phase in which they are involved. This is the first time that mFLP is addressed with a bottom-up approach., The research leading to these results received funding from the Regional Department of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society of the Generalitat Valenciana entitled “Industrial Production and Logistics Optimization in Industry 4.0” (i4OPT) (Ref. PROMETEO/2021/065)”, and from the European Union H2020 programmes with grant agreements No. 825631 “Zero-Defect Manufacturing Platform (ZDMP)” and No. 958205 “Industrial Data Services for Quality Control in Smart Manufacturing (i4Q)”.

This study investigates the impact of the membrane reactor (MR) technology with in-situ removal of water to boost the performance of the one-step DME synthesis via CO2 hydrogenation at process scale. Given the higher efficiency in converting the feedstock, the membrane reactor allows for a remarkable decrease in the main cost drivers of the process, i.e., the catalyst mass and the H2 feed flow, by ca. 39% and 64%, respectively. Furthermore, the MR-assisted process requires 46% less utilities than the conventional process, especially in terms of cooling water and refrigerant, with a corresponding decrease in environmental impact (i.e., 25% less CO2 emissions). Both the conventional and MR-assisted plants were found effective for the mitigation of the CO2 emissions, avoiding ca. 1.4–1.6 . However, given the higher reactor and process efficiency, the membrane technology contributes to a significant reduction (i.e., 25%) in the operating costs, which is a remarkable improvement in this OPEX intensive process. Nevertheless, the calculated minimum DME selling price (i.e., 1739 €/ton and 1960 €/ton for the MR-assisted and the conventional process, respectively) is over 3 times greater than the current DME market price. Yet, with the predicted decrease of renewable H2 price and a zero-to-negative cost for the CO2 feedstock, the MR-assisted system could become competitive with the benchmark between 2025 and 2050.

In this study, academic staff residential buildings were studied as part of a university campus located in a hot and humid climate zone in Türkiye. Within the scope of the study, the energy efficient architectural and landscape design decisions of the buildings built in 1976 were examined. The aim was to determine the energy performance of buildings built about 50 years ago and to quantify the effect of changing landscape conditions on thermal comfort. In this aim, the outdoor thermal comfort level was determined by creating microclimate simulations for the hottest day and time of the year. Microclimatic analyses were performed with ENVI-met software and thermal comfort was evaluated with two metrics, average PMV and ASHRAE scale. The energy performance of the buildings was determined using ecological design parameters. An approach to global environmental problems is the use of ecological design principles, including architectural and landscape design principles. It is important to consider both architectural design criteria and landscape design criteria when discussing ecological design in the built environment. Architectural and landscape design decisions for hot and humid climate regions together increased energy efficiency by 51.1% to 75.5%. It was found that although the plant design improves energy performance in buildings by that range value, it improved outdoor thermal comfort by 15% to 22%. As a result, the study evaluated climate-balanced plant design with building energy performance in order to improve outdoor thermal comfort.

Masern sind eine hoch ansteckende Krankheit, die durch Viren ausgelöst werden. Eine Masern-Infektion ist keine harmlose Krankheit, den es treten oft schwere Komplikationen auf, die bis zum Tod führen können. Gefährdet sind Menschen, die noch nie eine Infektion durchgemacht haben oder nicht geimpft wurden bzw. nicht geimpft werden können. Typisch für die Krankheit sind hohes Fieber, Husten, Schnupfen, Entzündungen des Hals-Rachenraumes und Augenbindehaut und der typische Hautausschlag. Nach einer überstandenen Infektion ist man ein Leben lang immun. Durch die sehr hohe Impfrate war die Krankheit schon teilweise ausgestorben, was auf eine sehr hohe Effektivität der Impfung schließen lässt. Durch nachlässig werden mit dem Impfen, sind wieder vermehrte Fälle bekannt. In dieser Arbeit wurde die Auslegung einer Produktionslinie für das Masern-Vakzin ausgearbeitet und umfasst die zwei Prozessschritte Media Präparation und Filtration des Produktionsüberstandes. Die Produktion des Totimpfstoffes erfolgt über die Kultivierung von MRC-5 Zellen, einer menschlichen Zellkulturlinie, und deren Infektion mit den Masern-Viren. Prozessschritt 1: Medienbereitung Da die tierischen Zellen (MRC-5) einen sehr hohen Anspruch auf das Nährmedium stellen, müssen Medien mit sehr hohem Nährstoffgehalt und Fetalem Kälberserum hergestellt werden. Um Kontaminationen zu vermeiden, muss sehr sorgfältig gearbeitet werden und zum Schutz der hitzelabilen Inhaltsstoffen, wird anstatt eines Autoklaviervorganges, filtriert. Zum Sterilfiltrieren wird ein 0,1 µm Filter benutzt, der Mycoplasmen abtrennt, diese würden die tierischen Zellen schädigen. Die Auslegung der Medienbereitung spielt im Prozess eine entscheidende Rolle, um ein „Bottleneck“ zu vermeiden und die volle Auslastung der nachfolgenden Schritte zu gewährleisten. Hier werden zum Beispiel auch die Puffer für Zentrifugation und Ionenchromatografie und andere Hilfslösungen hergestellt. Prozessschritt 2: Filtration des Produktionsüberstandes Um die Viren von Zellen und größeren Bestandteilen abzutrennen, wird als erster Aufreinigungsschritt eine Filtration mit 8 µm stattfinden. Das Virus mit 0,1-0,25 µm befindet sich im Filtrat. Es ist ein einfacher Schritt, um größer Partikel als das Virus abzutrennen und gleichzeitig nur geringe Verluste zu haben. Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by the measles virus. A measles infection is not a harmless disease, as severe complications often occur that can even lead to death. People who have never had an infection or who have not been vaccinated or cannot be vaccinated are at risk. Typical symptoms of the disease are high fever, cough, cold, inflammation of the throat and eyes, and the typical skin rash. Once you have survived an infection, you are immune for life. Due to the very high vaccination rate, the disease had already partially died out, which indicates a very high effectiveness of the vaccination. Due to negligence with the vaccination, increased cases are known again. In this work, the design of a production line for measles vaccine was elaborated and includes the two process steps of media preparation and filtration of the supernatant. The inactivated vaccine is produced by cultivating MRC-5 cells, a human cell culture line, and infecting them with the measles virus. Process step 1: Media preparation Since the animal cells (MRC-5) make very high demands on the culture medium, media with a very high nutrient content and fetal calf serum must be prepared. To avoid contamination, great care must be taken and to protect the heat-labile ingredients, filtration is used instead of autoclaving. For sterile filtration, a 0.1 µm filter is used to remove mycoplasma, which would damage the animal cells. The design of the media preparation plays a decisive role in the process in order to avoid a bottleneck and to ensure the full utilization of the subsequent steps. For example, the buffers for centrifugation and ion chromatography and other auxiliary solutions are also prepared here. Process step 2: filtration of the supernatant To separate the viruses from cells and larger components, the first purification step is filtration at 8 µm. The virus with 0.1-0.25 µm is in the filtrate. It is a simple step to separate larger particles than the virus and at the same time have only low losses.

The idea of module-based plant design is to select equipment modules of-the-peg instead of designing plants completely tailor-made to speed up plant design. Using equipment modules in plant design leads to equipment that does not exactly fit requirements. For some process units of a plant this might result in a moderate increase of investment and/or operating costs; for others using equipment modules of-the-peg might lead to a substantial increase of costs. The key question is: For which process units of a plant can one afford increased costs due to equipment modules not exactly fitting the requirements? In this work the effect of using equipment modules on investment and operating costs is investigated. Three different preselection approaches to decide on the use of equipment modules are applied and evaluated. One is purely based on investment costs, whereas the two other approaches developed consider investment and operating costs, either directly or based on exergoeconomics. Using the fermentative production of succinic acid as case study, it is shown that investment and operating costs are equally important and that the preselection approach based directly on investment and operating costs is found most suitable when deciding on the use of equipment modules.

Plants evolved different strategies to better adapt to the environmental conditions in which they live: the control of their body architecture and the timing of phase change are two important processes that can improve their fitness. As they age, plants undergo two major phase changes (juvenile to adult and adult to reproductive) that are a response to environmental and endogenous signals. These phase transitions are accompanied by alterations in plant morphology and also by changes in physiology and the behavior of gene regulatory networks. Six main pathways involving environmental and endogenous cues that crosstalk with each other have been described as responsible for the control of plant phase transitions: the photoperiod pathway, the autonomous pathway, the vernalization pathway, the temperature pathway, the GA pathway, and the age pathway. However, studies have revealed that sugar is also involved in phase change and the control of branching behavior. In this review, we discuss recent advances in plant biology concerning the genetic and molecular mechanisms that allow plants to regulate phase transitions in response to the environment. We also propose connections between phase transition and plant architecture control.

In the universities, the teaching around the distribution of plants is usually done in a theoretical way and with little space to carry out practices. For this, the opportunity to create a "serious game" or "playful activity" is recognized, which, under the constructivist paradigm applied to education, allows people to appropriate the knowledge necessary to apply the Systematic Layout Planning method for plant design of production. After an in-depth investigation of the method and each stage that it is composed of, the construction of an activity that effectively poses a problem to be solved is reached, with which is hoped to provide participants with the tools to guide them in each step of Systematic Layout Planning application.

Ethanol is mandated in the United States to be blended with gasoline, and as such, over 14 billion gallons are needed each year. This massive demand for ethanol places a strain on the corn producers and the approximately 200 ethanol plants currently in production. The ethanol industry is valued at $100 billion dollars, and this market is mainly supported by the federal government. The clean energy subsidies that incentivize the production of ethanol allow for the industry to remain profitable, though if these price floors and mandates were removed, the industry would severely decline. Since 2005, the United States ethanol industry has existed mainly off corn as the raw material, and because of this, approximately a third of all corn grown is sent to ethanol facilities. These facilities require a massive amount of corn to produce a massive amount of ethanol, and the scope and logistics is explored through my thesis. To address this issue, my technical project will address the design and operation of a 150-million-gallon ethanol facility. The plant will produce fuel grade ethanol, and feed-grade dried distillers’ grains and solubles, DDGS. The STS research paper will explore the interconnection between corn demand and subsidies on the American health crisis, food prices, and the environment. The technical focuses on the actual logistics of building, designing, and running a corn to ethanol production facility, while the STS project explores the interconnection between corn subsidies and a complex web of actors. The technical project tackled the design and operation of a 150-million-gallon corn to ethanol production facility, with a secondary product of salable DDGS. A combination of literature research, industry consultation and computer simulation were used to design the plant. The overall plant design required research into raw material sourcing, equipment pricing, and utility estimates. The results were a full ethanol plant design estimate, with the overall plant cost estimated at $338 million. The estimated yearly revenue of the ethanol plant is $471 million dollars, with the expenses estimated at $340 million a year. The major cost stems from the cost of corn needed to run the facility, as well as the utilities needed to process the corn into ethanol. Overall, the plant was found to be profitable using current market conditions, but advised to not pursue as the price of ethanol is at an all time high and will most likely correct. The plant design and operation planning were a success, with each major plant component examined and decided. The overall plant design would be profitable using current market conditions, and market demand for ethanol production could be met. The STS research paper will explore the connection between corn subsidies, the American health crisis, food prices, and the environment. The farm bill established corn subsidies in the 1930s, and in the 1970s the creation of high fructose corn syrup led to a rise in obesity and diabetes. This spike was eventually curtailed by price competition for ethanol plants. The corn became too expensive to use as a sugar substitute, as all the surplus corn was being used to make ethanol. This caused the obesity trend to reverse, which it has done since 2005, when blending was mandated. The impact of corn subsidies on the American consumer were examined through the lens of commodity price increases as well, where the average price of meats and other animal derived products has increased in correlation with ethanol fuel demands. As the price of corn rises, with a competition for supply caused by ethanol blending, the price for animal feed, which is derived from corn, increases as well. This causes the price of poultry, beef, and pork to increase, as well as other animal derived food items. The subsidization of corn led to its proliferation in the United States, and as such an increased competition for limited corn supplies. This large demand for corn has led to negative environmental impacts, to which farmers are not economically incentivized to respond, as the volatile nature of corn subsidies doesn’t guarantee future farm profits. Because of this volatile nature, where farmers don’t know the value of next years crop, only this one, they are incentivized to maximize yields by any means. This has proven detrimental to the environment in a number of ways, including an estimated 4,300 premature deaths per year. The technical and STS research papers were both successful in reaching their prescribed roles. The technical paper fully encompassed a corn-to-ethanol production facility, and the work required to provide these designs was instrumental in furthering my education. In addition, the STS research paper allowed me to dive further into the world of socio-technical impacts, and explore correlations that I had not thought of previously. Overall, both papers were effective in their goals, the technical in describing a chemical plant design and operation, and the STS research in proving a link between my technical and society. To take these two projects further would be to examine the technical project through the frame of environmentalism and exploring how to neutralize the impact of the plant. Though the plant cannot redistribute corn or its waste, there are ways that the products could be recycled or processed in a manner that could alleviate other identified impacts.

A method is proposed to evaluate capacity potentials in continuously operated chemical processes. In the main part of the analysis, the operating windows of the equipment are examined based on detailed steady-state simulations. The method is applied to a case study of the production process of ethylene oxide as a large-scale commodity chemical. Results show the limitations continuously operated processes are confronted with. However, opportunities to enlarge or shift the operating window of apparatuses applied are determined.

The aim of this study is to examine the current state of the open-green lands of Burdur city, and to determine their competencies and functional qualities. For this purpose, squares, parks, playgrounds, sport fields, school gardens, public institutions, cemeteries, marketplaces and roads, pedestrian paths, refuges and boulevards of open-green lands were examined. It was determined that there was 8.4 m2 open-green land per capita in Burdur city and this land is inadequate. As considered the findings of the present study as whole, it was found out that the existing open-green lands of Burdur city had a haphazard distribution. In addition, it was observed that the plants of the open-green lands in the city were not enough to meet the needs of the urban people in terms of their aesthetic and functional characteristics, plant design was insufficient and the plant species used were not sufficient to increase the quality of the space. As a result, in order to make the city of Burdur a modern, livable and quality place, it would be suitable to be planned and designed the open-green lands by the related experts in terms of quality and quantity.

The technical solution aimed at reducing the energy loss of the enterprise during drying of the frit is considered: the exclusion of the electric heaters and fan, the use of centrifugation for the developed design of the installation. Analysis of the static and dynamic characteristics of the installation was performed in APM FEM with a uniform load distribution along the bottom of the rotor. The functional problem of smooth starting and braking of the centrifuge drum was solved using an adjustable electric drive with a frequency converter, which provides step control up to 5 rpm. The annual economic effect of the implementation of the installation for drying frits is calculated.

In this article we propose an architecture for the inclusion and exploitation of semantic aspects in a CAD environment. Our schema focuses on the enhancement and improvement of a commercial (general purpose) CAD system on its Virtual Reality (VR) capabilities. There is a need in combining CAD and semantics in the new generation of computer assisted engineering systems. Usually semantic aspects in traditional CAD applications relay on the user's tacit knowledge, a fact that slows the learning curve while the user is getting trained with a new tool, no matter if he is an expert in others. Moreover, current CAD programs offer a myriad of options to the designer, but their limited integration of the non geometric information (e.g. PDM systems), and in general the semantics of the design process, can still be improved for the current needs of the industry. We argue that the use of semantics could improve the workflow and capabilities of the software and would benefit a new user (non experienced one) in order to produce better results in shorter times. In this paper our main focus is the enhancement of the visualization and VR capabilities in generic CAD applications. Our semantic CAD framework uses ontology modeling as well as engineering standards in order to conceptualize and exploit the information contained in a CAD model. To show some benefits of our proposed schema, we present two cases in different engineering domains (plant design and Steel detailing design), where the inclusion of semantics empowers a VR experience. Index Terms—CAD, semantics, virtual reality, ISO-STEP, ontologies, OWL, engineering standards, plant engineering.

The hydroxycinnamic acids p‐coumaric acid (pCA) and ferulic acid (FA) add diversity to the portfolio of products produced by using grass‐fed lignocellulosic biorefineries. The level of lignin‐bound pCA in Zea mays was modified by the alteration of p‐coumaroyl‐CoA monolignol transferase expression. The biomass was processed in a lab‐scale alkaline‐pretreatment biorefinery process and the data were used for a baseline technoeconomic analysis to determine where to direct future research efforts to couple plant design to biomass utilization processes. It is concluded that future plant engineering efforts should focus on strategies that ramp up accumulation of one type of hydroxycinnamate (pCA or FA) predominantly and suppress that of the other. Technoeconomic analysis indicates that target extraction titers of one hydroxycinnamic acid need to be >50 g kg−1 biomass, at least five times higher than observed titers for the impure pCA/FA product mixture from wild‐type maize. The technical challenge for process engineers is to develop a viable process that requires more than 80 % reduction of the isolation costs., Stream on: A competitive lignocellulosic biorefinery will need to produce multiple product streams that include liquid fuel, solid fuel, and commodity chemicals. In this study, some key parameters are identified for the extraction of the valuable commodity chemicals p‐coumaric acid and ferulic acid from one of the waste streams in an alkaline‐pretreatment‐based biorefinery.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel method for establishing the mathematical link between the restored Hogarth curve and the golden ratio, and to advance the potential application of the Hogarth curves in standardization of the garment pattern design by using this method. Design/methodology/approach The Hogarth curve was fully restored by using the plant design system (PDS) software package and divided the restored curve into two fragments based on the intersection point between the curve and the straight line joining the curve endpoints. The ratios between two fragments of curves and straight lines were calculated and compared with the golden ratio, respectively, which was set as a normalized value. The potential application of the restored Hogarth curves in the normalization of the garment pattern design was therefore studied by using the standard mannequins. Findings The ratio in the most beautiful curve, i.e., the fourth Hogarth curve, was found to be infinitely approaching to the golden ratio. Furthermore, the incorporation of the Hogarth curves into the garment pattern design demonstrated that the fourth Hogarth curve was the most aesthetic line. Originality/value This work offered a novel method for bridging the gaps between arts and maths, i.e., the mathematical relation between the Hogarth curves and the golden ratio. Such a method will provide the protocol to promote the potential applications of the Hogarth curves in the garment pattern design and the human body decoration.

The evaluation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) technology helps to identify its suitability for a specific location. The main objective of the present study is to assess the suitability of mono-crystalline silicon (mc-Si) and poly-crystalline silicon (pc-Si) PV modules with almost similar characteristics under Agadir climatic conditions. Electricity yield of these modules is calculated from the uninterruptible measured current–voltage curves from sunrise to sunset during a year. The influence of weather conditions, global irradiance and temperature, on the performances of the modules is assessed and as a part of considerations in the PV power plant design that the output power from pc-Si PV modules is found greater. Calculated annual average final yield (Yf), and performance ratio (PR) for mc-Si and pc-Si PV systems are (1602.22 kWh/kWp, 0.71), (1691.85 kWh/kWp, 0.75) respectively.

Module-based plant design facilitates a paradigm shift in chemical and biochemical industry to decrease the time needed for plant design. Instead of a tailored design of apparatuses for a target production rate, modules are selected off-the-rack to set up a production plant. Within the scope of this thesis, four important areas of module-based plant design at equipment level are investigated. First, the determination of a plants’ overall operating window, a prerequisite for equipment module selection and evaluation is improved by considering the so far neglected non-linear dependency between the operating constraints and the production rate of a plant. Second, the currently accepted view that investment costs are determining the decision on the use of equipment modules for different process units is disproved and novel preselection approaches are proposed, applied and evaluated. A preselection approach based on investment and operating costs is rated most suitable to decide on the use of equipment modules for a case study. The third area explored is equipment module selection for a constant market demand, aiming at flexibility in production rate at low investment costs, as well as for a market demand development. It is shown by case studies that modular production plants offer a promising alternative to conventionally designed plants. Finally, an approach to design equipment modules for flexibility in production rate is introduced and applied. For the case study of a heat exchanger it is shown that a four times larger operating window can be obtained at only 14 % higher total annual costs compared to a conventionally designed heat exchanger. Hence, this work investigates four key areas in module-based plant design at equipment level beyond current state of the art contributing to a paradigm shift in plant design., Modulbasierte Anlagenplanung ermöglicht einen Paradigmenwechsel in der chemischen und biochemischen Industrie, um die Zeit der Anlagenplanung zu verkürzen. Anstelle einer maßgeschneiderten Auslegung von Apparaten für einen Auslegungspunkt werden Module von der Stange ausgewählt, um eine Produktionsanlage zu errichten. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden vier wichtige Bereiche der modulbasierten Anlagenplanung auf Equipmentebene untersucht. Erstens wird die Bestimmung des Gesamtbetriebsfensters einer Anlage, eine Voraussetzung für die Auswahl von Equipmentmodulen und Bewertung von modularen Anlagen, durch die Berücksichtigung der bisher vernachlässigten und nichtlinearen Abhängigkeit zwischen den Betriebsgrenzen und der Produktionsrate einer Anlage verbessert. Zweitens werden aktuelle Entscheidungskriterien für den Einsatz von Equipmentmodulen für verschiedene Prozesseinheiten in Frage gestellt und neue Vorauswahlmethoden vorgeschlagen, angewendet und bewertet. Dabei wird die derzeit akzeptierte Ansicht, dass Investitionskosten bestimmend sind, widerlegt. Eine Vorauswahlmethode, um über die Verwendung von Equipmentmodulen zu entscheiden, die auf Investitions- und Betriebskosten basiert, wird für eine Fallstudie als am geeignetsten bewertet. Der dritte untersuchte Bereich behandelt die Auswahl von Equipmentmodulen für eine konstante Marktnachfrage, mit dem Ziel einer hohen Flexibilität in der Produktionsrate bei niedrigen Investitionskosten, sowie für eine Marktnachfrageentwicklung. Anhand von Fallstudien wird gezeigt, dass modulare Produktionsanlagen eine vielversprechende Alternative zu konventionell ausgelegten Anlagen darstellen. Abschließend wird ein Ansatz zur Auslegung von Equipmentmodulen für eine hohe Flexibilität in der Produktionsrate vorgestellt und angewendet. Am Beispiel eines Wärmeübertragers wird gezeigt, dass ein viermal größeres Betriebsfenster für nur 14 % höhere jährliche Gesamtkosten im Vergleich zu einem konventionell ausgelegten Wärmeübertrager erreicht werden kann. Somit untersucht diese Arbeit vier wichtige Bereiche der modulbasierten Anlagenplanung auf Equipmentebene über den aktuellen Stand der Technik hinaus und liefert ihren Beitrag für einen Paradigmenwechsel in der Anlagenplanung., Schriftenreihe Anlagen- und Prozesstechnik;41

The P-graph framework was developed to solve Process Network Synthesis (PNS) problems in plant design. It provides a powerful engineering toolbox based on the constituent Maximal Structure Generation (MSG), Solution Structure Generation (SSG) and Accelerated Branch-and-Bound (ABB) algorithms. During the four decades of its development, the P-graph framework has proven to be capable of solving various engineering applications framed as PNS problems. This review paper gives a survey of the development of the P-graph framework, with emphasis on its enhancements and the diversification of applications in process engineering. Research gaps and promising directions for P-graph research are then discussed.

At present, mitigating carbon emissions from energy production and industrial processes is more relevant than ever to limit climate change. The widespread implementation of carbon capture technologies requires the development of cost-effective and selective adsorbents with high CO2 capture capacity and low thermal recovery. Coal fly ash has been extensively studied as a raw material for the synthesis of low-cost zeolite-like adsorbents for CO2 capture. Laboratory tests for CO2 adsorption onto coal fly ash zeolites (CFAZ) reveal promising results, but detailed computational studies are required to clarify the applicability of these materials as CO2 adsorbents on a pilot and industrial scale. The present study provides results for the validation of a simulation model for the design of adsorption columns for CO2 capture on CFAZ based on the experimental equilibrium and dynamic adsorption on a laboratory scale. The simulations were performed using ProSim DAC dynamic adsorption software to study mass transfer and energy balance in the thermal swing adsorption mode and in the most widely operated adsorption unit configuration.

The Human Factors Engineering (HFE) program is an essential aspect for the design of nuclear installations. The overall aim of the HFE program is the improvement of the operational reliability and safety of plant operation. The HFE program main purpose is to ensure that human factor practices are incorporated into the plant design, emphasizing man-machine interface issues and design improvement of the nuclear reactor Control Centre. The Control Centre of nuclear reactor is a combination of control rooms, control suites and local control stations, which are functionally connected and located on the reactor site. The objective of this paper is to present a participatory design approach, including human factor issues, for the Control Centre of a nuclear research reactor used to produce radioisotopes and for nuclear research. The design approach is based on participatory design principles, using human factor standards, ergonomic guidelines, and the participation of a multidisciplinary team during all design phases. Using the information gathered, an initial sketch 3D of the Control Centre was developed.

The problem of whether or not to use consultants in assisting a company’s commercial development activity has always been a thorny one. Consulting services are available for every phase of industrial development; they cover not only those functions associated with commercial development but also research, process development, plant design, location, and construction. Consultants are frequently individuals working alone or with a small staff; in some cases they may be fairly large organizations with many dePartments and specialized facilities. Naturally the larger consulting organizations are equipped to render more complete services than the individual consultant. Very importantly, consultants can be retained for short-term problems without incurring the obligations or expense involved in setting up a new dePartment in the company or employing additional personnel. A consultant often works with several firms in different fields of activity.

The current buckling design standard of Class 1 vessels for fast reactors (FRs) power plant in Japan, “Design and Construction for Nuclear Power Plants, Division 2 Fast Reactors” by the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers, focuses primarily on plastic buckling of austenitic stainless steel vessel. For next-generation FRs, the higher-yield material, especially ASME Grade 91 steel, plans to be applied to the vessels such as steam generators in addition to austenitic stainless steel. Seismic isolation system is also being devised in the next plant to meet the design seismic load in Japan. To accommodate these conditions, the standard buckling strength equations in Japan were proposed in previous study, which were modified by considering elasto–plastic buckling of vessel. The modified equations consisted of elasto–plastic axial compression, bending, shear buckling, and their interactions, as well as ASME/BPVC CASE N-284, considering the reduction of buckling strength by cyclic larger vertical load with long–period lower horizontal load under the horizontal seismic isolation plant design. The applicability of the modified buckling equations to high-yield material was confirmed by a series of buckling tests under the monotonic load to Grade 91 steel vessels with an initial imperfection mode in previous study. In this study, the applicability of the proposed modified buckling equations was confirmed through a series of buckling tests under cyclic loading considering horizontal seismic isolation, or with the circumferential wrinkle shape corresponding to elephant’s foot buckling (EFB) mode as the conservative initial imperfection shape. These tests were simulated by elasto–plastic buckling analyses considering stress–strain relationship and imperfections in the test vessels with high accuracy, and these test and analysis results showed the applicability of the modified equations. The effect of initial imperfection shape of large vessels manufactured by multiple plates welding on the buckling load was evaluated via a series of analyses. In these analyses, the superimposition of global imperfection shape due to accumulation of misalignment of plates in the buckling mode imperfection, and the local imperfection and residual stress by welding had minimal effect on the buckling load. These buckling test and analysis results confirmed the contribution of the factors to the buckling strength such as initial imperfection and loading, and showed that the modified equations are applicable to the vessels in FRs power plant.

Production of green electrical energy and green natural gas are the main goals of zero-carbon emission policy. Power to Gas plants (P2G) can be used to overcome difficulties with increase in intermittent renewable energy production, gas shortages and organic waste management. In this paper, a design, a model, and a control system for a Power to Gas plant is proposed. To achieve a high performance P2G plant, its design is based on biochar gasification and biological methanation processes. With the given mathematical models of electrolysis, gasification and methanation, calculation of needed feedstock and energy consumption as well as calculation of produced methane becomes easy obtainable. Proposed control system enables to precisely follow frequent operation change requests due to dynamical conditions in leaned electricity or gas grids. Simulation study of the automated plant operation using Matlab/Simulink has been done. This research gives all prerequisites for optimal sizing and planning of the P2G plant operation in dynamic technical and economic conditions.

In the future energy landscape, combined cycle power plants will increasingly take the role of providing balancing power for fluctuating renewable energy sources due to their high availability and fast start-up times. This implies more frequent cycling, a larger number of speed cycles and thus new challenges for plant design and operation. One of these challenges is a potential increase of cyclic fatigue incurred by last-stage blades during start-up and coast-down. Blade vibrations might be induced by synchronous shaft vibrations when the blade resonance is excited by lateral shaft vibrations. In this paper, we report measurement results of shaft and blade vibrations observed at some Siemens Energy steam turbines. Apart from the expected increase of blade vibrations when the double rotating speed crosses the blade resonance, a distinctive dip of shaft vibrations at the low-pressure turbine bearings is observed. We argue that this phenomenon is likely related to the aforementioned interaction between blade and shaft vibrations and present a theoretical framework to describe this interaction and the observed effect.

Polyphenols are molecules with antioxidant potential for several diseases. In this research, an analysis of polyphenols production costs from Theobroma cacao L suspension cell culture was evaluated. The latter proposing different scenarios based on a large-scale plant production using the SuperPro Designer software. Two strategies for bioprocess improvement were proposed based on information from a traditional suspension cell culture (Strategy I). These improvements are firstly based on adding elicitors (Strategy II) for increasing polyphenol production and secondly, energetic use of cane bagasse and rice bran (Strategy III) by adding a gasifier. Results showed that the percentage of losses decreases from 19 % to only 5.8 % applying a recirculation system in losses lines product regarding Strategy II. Also, adding Methyl Jasmonate (MJ) elicitor increased the Y p / s yield up to 0.08 kg polyphenols/kg glucose. Gasification proposed in Strategy III achieved supplying 37 % of energy requirements using only 1.14 % of bagasse. One essential finding refers to the decreased cost of producing a 100 mg tablet formulated at 50 % of the active substance. Therefore, the latter resulted in 0.23 USD / tablet: promising data compared to 1.0-2.0 USD / tablet corresponding to the average value in the market. Thus, this research demonstrates that the increase of polyphenols by adding elicitors positively influences the operating costs.

Upgrading technologies for producing a high quality biomethane from biogas are of growing interest due to phasing out of European feed-in tariffs for biogas-based electricity. Operators of small biogas plants need alternatives to common stationary upgrading plants due to their high investment cost. Mobile membrane-based upgrading plants can help to reduce those investment costs for single operators and therefore, new valorisation routes become accessible to them. Performance of membrane-based upgrading plants is highly dependent on the chosen plant design. As mobile upgrading plants are limited to a maximum of two stages for the membrane separation due to space and weight restrictions, performance can be influenced mainly by operational conditions and membrane module characteristics. In this study, the influence of the membrane's CO2/CH4 selectivity on the performance of the mobile upgrading plant was investigated. Rising the CO2/CH4 selectivity from 25 to 38.51 and 50 increased the recovery and the biomethane purity to a level comparable to those of stationary membrane-based upgrading plants.

Current challenges for (bio-)chemical industry require shorter project lead times. To reduce the lead time, the concept of module-based plant design was developed. Suitable equipment modules are selected from an equipment module database instead of time-consuming tailor-made equipment design. The quality of module-based plant design strongly depends on the quality of the equipment module database. An equipment module database should contain the least number of equipment modules covering as many industrial applications as possible. Hence, the generation of an equipment module database is a maximum coverage problem known from other disciplines, such as facility location. Within this work, the corresponding maximum coverage problem is formulated and solved by a randomized greedy algorithm. The approach for the generation of an equipment module database presented is exemplarily applied for liquid/liquid heat transfer applications provided by Evonik . It is shown, that less equipment modules are required for the same coverage of applications if the equipment module database is generated based on the maximum coverage problem than based on the existing methodology presented by Eilermann et al. (2017). Additionally, less computational effort is required.

A 2 m diameter REFLUX™ Classifier was tested on coal feeds up to 6 mm top size. Solids feed rate was varied from 50 to 160 t/h at suspension concentrations up to 37 wt.% solids. Performance was con...

Ethylene production from renewable bioethanol has been commercially proposed in recent years as a sustainable alternative to fossil sources. The possibility to exploit diluted bioethanol as less ex...

En este artículo se presentará el diseño e implementación de una planta en una empresa industrial que permita el reaprovechamiento de los residuos sólidos (viruta de cuero) del proceso de curtido durante el proceso de elaboración de cueros para su utilización en un proceso complementario. Los problemas que se presentan al no contar con este tipo de procesos es incurrir en costos extras para tercerizar servicios para la disposición de estos desechos contribuyendo al aumento de la contaminación en la ciudad. Para implantar esta mejora será necesario realizar un análisis preliminar para poder elaborar la propuesta de diseño de planta más óptima que se adecúe a este proceso. La línea productiva está constituida por cuatro Unidades, la primera Unidad de Acondicionamiento de materia prima; la segunda Unidad de Mezclado y Moldeado; la tercera Unidad de Prensado y Secado, y finalmente la Unidad de Acabado.

Over the past years in the industry, the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) waste into the atmosphere have been rapidly increasing. The carbon capture technology is used in a few power plants to capture CO2molecules from the flue gas. Researchers have established method to use CO2and convert into valuable products. Therefore, this study is aim to simulate the reaction between captured CO2with hydrogen to produce renewable methanol. In order to achieve objective of designing the renewable methanol plant, the Aspen Hysys is used as modelling and simulation tool to obtain about 50k tonnes per year of renewable methanol production. Then, the amount of CO2is evaluated based on the amount of CO2in flue gas, CO2capture and renewable methanol produced. The results of the simulation that obtained is about 16510 kg/h of captured CO2and 6049 kg/h of methanol produced from the 17936 kg/h of CO2contained in flue gas. Three different coal-fired power plant capacities have been studied to evaluate their methanol production capacity. A small 110 MW power plant could produce 12705 kg/h of methanol, while 1400 MW and 2420 MW power plant will achieve 161,703 kg/h and 279515 kg/h respectively.

Every day, thousands of pupils, students, employees, and hospital patients eat food outside their homes that is cooked far from the place of consumption. The food service industry is responsible for supplying this food to schools, hospitals, nurseries, as well as to company canteens. The design, control, and management of food service operations is challenging given the complexity of such multiple facility production networks and entails multidisciplinary perspectives and competences. Both production and logistics operations play crucial roles and significantly affect the service performance as long as food products are prepared within a facility, and as long as they are distributed to multiple consumption sites. Hence, there are many planning decisions (e.g. the definition of the production facility location, the allocation of task to resources and the scheduling of production jobs), that are handled at different stages by different actors, who often decide based on their own practical experience and barely adopt integrated decision-support systems. A review of the literature shows that there is no integrated approach to support the design of food service production facilities, known as centralized kitchens (CEKIs). To facilitate such integration and assist food service managers to adopt quantitative and data-driven design approaches, this study proposes an original computer-based multidisciplinary decision-support tool for the design and configuration of a CEKI. The proposed tool aids decisions taken by multiple actors simultaneously through a set of interfaces driven by quantitative data that follow the logistical flow of materials throughout the CEKI (1), assesses performance indicators in a multidisciplinary dashboard (2), and implements what-if, multiple scenario analyses based on simulations (3). Graphical interfaces are designed to facilitate communication between the decision makers and the integration of data-driven analyses. The design of a new CEKI is used as a testbed for the decision-support tool. The real-world example highlights the interdependencies between issues and decisions and showcases how computer applications facilitate decision-making and improve communication between managers.

The MixAlco process is a patented biomass conversion technology used to produce valuable chemicals. The basis of this design relies on the use of fermentation, where acidophiles utilize their own enzymatic pathways to convert a variety of biomass, such as organic wastes, into carboxylic acid salts. Unlike previous MixAlco designs in which carboxylate salts are processed further into hydrocarbon fuels, this proposed design simulates the optimization and commercialization of mixed carboxylic acid salts as the final product. Sensitivity analyses identified four critical input factors of the base case process—biomass feed rate, selling price, distribution cost, and biomass composition. Increasing the biomass feed rate or population size has the most pronounced effect on process economics. Overall, the sensitivity analyses of all four critical input factors support that the new design is flexible in its ability to support populations of varying sizes, as well as different biomass feed rates and compositions.

Because International travel spreads pathogens, countries must prepare for epidemics by storing ample medical supplies and developing mass vaccination plans. Distrust of vaccinations, however, can hamper vaccination efforts. The research team developed a plan to scale up COVID-19 vaccine production from Bharat Biotech of India to supply the U.S. In the upstream process, seed trains run in parallel; 1000-L bioreactors are used. Vero cells on microcarriers increase productivity. In the downstream process, a series of purification steps eliminates impurities. After the downstream process, during formulation, inactive ingredients are added to enhance vaccine efficacy and extend shelf life. The formulated product will be filled into 10 mL vials ready for packaging. Target production is 511 million doses annually. Antivaccination groups use social media platforms to spread distrust of vaccinations. Opposition is attributable to misunderstanding of immunity, values associated with family and parenting, or a general distrust of expertise. To maintain herd immunity and increase vaccination rates, provaccination groups share their personal experiences and cite credible sources to validate the safety and the necessity of the vaccines. In response, government agencies and pharmaceutical companies have been working to increase vaccine transparency and to dispute misinformation.

The main objective of this paper was to review the design considerations and challenges for offsite construction plant in Auckland. The goal is to provide the reasons for selecting the design criteria. For this the production plants Willmot Dixon in UK, CRC in Australia and Fletcher in New Zealand were considered. This plant can be used for products in residential buildings, hospitals, educational buildings and commercial buildings using Lightweight steel and timber framing, Factory assembled bathrooms (FABs) or pods, Cross-laminated timber and Prefabricated and precast concrete. The four design communication alternatives for an offsite production plant based on the requirements for adaptability, efficiency in assembly and production economy are explained according to the needs. The main urban challenges which were faced by Auckland for offsite production plant like speed of construction, cost, waste materials, machines and workers are reviewed using the method of engineering called Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) by which the production costs and the time for products to reach the market are reviewed. Keywords: Offsite, Design, Materials, DFMA

Watering the plants is crucial. Soil moisture is undoubtedly a factor that must be considered about watering plants. Watering plants, according to soil moisture content, significantly affect the growth of these plants. This research will provide a solution to this. Automatic watering based on the moisture level of the soil will be developed. The system will also solve the problem experienced by apartment residents who use potted plants and have limited maintenance time with working hours. Watering the water is the key to developing plants with minimal sunlight, such as in apartments, using Arduino Uno and water sensors and soil moisture sensors that support the proposed tools included on the Internet of Things (IoT). The relay that is installed will be a watering indicator using the Fuzzy method. As a result, this developed tool can perform automatic watering at the right level, and plant owners will receive watering reports and plant conditions via notifications on their smartphones.

The rise of globalization in recent years has favored the adoption of unhealthy lifestyles for many people, increasing their likelihood of diseases with silent symptoms. Longevity spinach (Gynura procumbens L.) is a medicinal plant that has strong phenolic compounds which could act as natural antioxidants to reduce the chance of contracting severe silent diseases. This study was focused on the feasibility of an affordable herbal supplement manufacturing plant using longevity spinach with a water solvent. Production simulation was carried out using SuperPro Designer v.9.0, and an estimated annual production of 26,082 bottles was analyzed based on several economic parameters. The production process for herbal supplements from longevity spinach extract consisted of leaf-washing, drying, and grinding, as well as active compound extraction from leaves with water, filtration, evaporation, freeze-drying, and encapsulation. For 30 encapsulated herbal supplements, prices started from USD 22.8/bottle, and the designed production plant was economically feasible (PBP = ±17 months, IRR = 91.65%, and NPV = USD 3,972,653.13). It can be concluded that encapsulated longevity spinach water extract could become an affordable herbal supplement, with feasible manufacturing for further investment activity.

[ES] El trabajo abarca un proyecto de almacenamiento en una fábrica de explosivos de productos químicos de tipo corrosivo, inflamable, toxico y explosivo en la localidad de Villatobas (Toledo). Para el desarrollo del proyecto ha sido necesario un estudio de localización en planta debido a la gran cantidad de productos explosivos a almacenar y a la estricta normativa legal vigente relacionada a este tipo de proyectos. Por otra parte, se ha llevado a cabo un profundo estudio tanto a nivel individual como conjunto, de todos los productos químicos involucrados en este proyecto. Cabe destacar que una vez se han clasificado dichos productos se ha llevado a cabo el diseño de un almacén de productos inflamables, corrosivos y tóxicos y un depósito de explosivos de forma que cada uno se rige por su normativa. En cuanto al almacén de productos químicos se diseña los recipientes, cubetos de retención y todos aquellos elementos que sean necesarios para la seguridad del recinto, en el que se incluyen zonas de carga y descarga. Mientras que para el depósito se diseñan los distintos polvorines, las defensas y las zonas de vallado, además de otros elementos de seguridad necesarios en este tipo de instalaciones. Este tipo de proyectos requiere un alto nivel de seguridad por lo que se incluyen instrucciones de uso, conservación y buen mantenimiento de las instalaciones. Además, el proyectista incluye un presupuesto aproximado de la inversión que se debe realizar., [EN] The work includes a storage project in an explosives factory for corrosive, flammable, toxic and explosive chemicals in the town of Villatobas (Toledo). For the development of the project, a plant location study has been necessary due to the large amount of explosive products to be stored and the strict current legal regulations related to this type of project. On the other hand, an in-depth study has been carried out, both individually and collectively, of all the chemical products involved in this project. It should be noted that once these products have been classified, a warehouse for flammable, corrosive and toxic products and a warehouse for explosives have been designed, so that each one is governed by its regulations. Regarding the chemical products warehouse, the containers, retention buckets and all those elements that are necessary for the safety of the enclosure are designed, which include loading and unloading areas. While for the deposit, the different magazines, defenses and fencing areas are designed, as well as other security elements necessary in this type of facilities. This type of project requires a high level of security, which is why instructions for use, conservation and good maintenance of the facilities are included. In addition, the designer includes an approximate budget of the investment to be made., [CA] El treball abasta un projecte d'emmagatzematge en una fàbrica d'explosius de productes químics de tipus corrosiu, inflamable, *toxico i explosiu en la localitat de *Villatobas (Toledo). Per al desenvolupament del projecte ha sigut necessari un estudi de localització en planta a causa de la gran quantitat de productes explosius a emmagatzemar i a l'estricta normativa legal vigent relacionada a aquesta mena de projectes. D'altra banda, s'ha emportat acabe un profund estudi tant a nivell individual com conjunt, de tots els productes químics involucrats en aquest projecte. Cal destacar que una vegada s'han classificat aquests productes s'ha dut a terme el disseny d'un magatzem de productes inflamables, corrosius i tòxics i un depòsit d'explosius de manera que cadascun es regeix per la seua normativa. Quant al magatzem de productes químics es dissenya els recipients, cubetes de retenció i tots aquells elements que siguen necessaris per a la seguretat del recinte, en el qual s'inclouen zones de càrrega i descàrrega. Mentre que per al deposite es dissenyen els diferents polvorins, les defenses i les zones de clos, a més d'altres elements de seguretat necessari en aquesta mena d'instal·lacions. Aquest tipus de projectes requereix un alt nivell de seguretat pel que s'inclouen instruccions d'ús, conservació i bon manteniment de les instal·lacions. A més, el projectista inclou un pressupost aproximat de la inversió que s'ha de realitzar.

Este trabajo dará a conocer el diseño e implementación de un plan de mejoramiento para los procesos operacionales de referencias de cajas genéricas de la empresa CARBOLSAS S.A.S, implementando como primera instancia un diagnostico para analizar y recolectar datos de la situación actual en la que se encuentran los procesos, posterior se realizará un análisis de los datos obtenidos para la elaboración de un plan de mejora, finalizando con una evaluación de la efectividad del plan desarrollado a los procesos. En el desarrollo del diagnóstico se pudo identificar problemas en el proceso productivo de referencias de caja genérica tales como: falta de estandarización en los procesos, altos tiempos de valor no agregado, inadecuada distribución de planta, poca organización en puestos de trabajo, por lo que se utilizaron herramientas del Lean Manufacturing para establecer un plan de mejoramiento que ayudara a mejorar los procesos. This work will announce the design and implementation of an improvement plan for the operational processes of references of generic boxes of the company CARBOLSAS SAS, implementing as a first instance a diagnosis for analysis and data collection of the current situation in which they are found. the processes, later an analysis of the data necessary for the elaboration of an improvement plan will be carried out, ending with an evaluation of the methodology of the plan developed for the processes. In the development of the diagnosis, it was possible to identify problems in the production process of generic box references such as: lack of standardization in the processes, long times of non-added value, inadequate distribution of the plant, little organization in jobs, so Lean Manufacturing tools were used to establish an improvement plan to help improve processes. Ingeniero Industrial http://www.ustabuca.edu.co/ustabmanga/presentacion Pregrado

The work concerns large scale production of microalgae in photobioreactors and involves both technical-economic studies, productivity modeling and validation in industrial scale.Chapter 2 is an economical comparison of the 3 major microalgal production technologies: open raceway ponds, tubular photobioreactors and flat panel photobioreactors. The assessment of the operational performance of the three technologies was based on published productivity results from experimental photobioreactor and pilot plant studies. Effects of scale, site and various optimization options were included in a sensitivity analysis.Reducing auxiliar energy requirements for mixing with the two photobioreactor technologies was identified as a major challenge in the development of photobioreactor production of microalgal biomass, particularly for biofuel application. A standard hydraulic examination of auxiliary energy use with tubular- and flat panel photobioreactors was carried out in Chapter 3, resulting in general design recommendations. In chapter 4, a model of microalgal growth as a function of irradiance and temperature was developed in the laboratory and extended with an irradiation model for a specific flat panel reactor. The model was used to optimize the design of the flat panel photobioreactor and was validated in a study of a full-scale installation of the photobioreactor. Chapter 5 and 6 describes the design and development of operating techniques for a tubular photobioreactor for production of microalgal oil, based on recommendations in chapters 2 and 3. A laboratory protocol to compare the suitability for oil production in microalgal strains was developed and a laboratory method to determine the minimum biomass concentration in an outdoor tubular photobioreactor. On the basis of that, two strains, Neochloris oleoabundans and Chlorococcum littorale were selected for further work. A method, the inverse nitrogen quota, was developed to predict and steer microalgal oil production, in terms of total fatty acid content, based on assimilated nitrogen and biomass yield. The method is strains-specific and was completed for the two selected strains. A pilot plant with a 6 m3 tubular photobioreactor was designed and constructed in southern Spain and growth and oil production with the two selected microalgal strains was tested.The general discussion includes a resume of the achievements in chapters 2-6 and an analysis of the current stage of development and a future outlook of the microalgal R & D field. It is noticed that well managed outdoor production trials may match laboratory results in terms of photosynthetic efficiency, but a gap remains between experimental and routine practice. Also, the cost of photobioreactor manufacturing should be reduced. Recent proliferation of the microalgal production sector and public-private development partnerships hold promise that the future may bring cost-competitive microalgal commodity products.

The Arabian Peninsula, duetoits climate, availability of non-arable land, seawater, and carbon dioxide, is one of the best global locations for commercial cultivation of algae and cyanobacteria. This work focused on the screening of multiple locally isolatedstrains for their capabilitytothrive under industrially relevant conditions of elevated temperatures (up to 40 ˚C) and carbon dioxide levels (up to 30%). Two strains, Leptolyngbya sp. and Picochlorum sp., grew well at temperatures of up to 40 ˚C, and also showed a tolerance towards elevated CO2 concentrations. Both microalgae isolated, T. subcordiformis and Picochlorum sp., presented significant amounts of lipids, including high-value omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. On the other hand, both cyanobacteria, Leptolyngbya sp. and Chroococcidiopsis sp., presented levels of phycobiliproteins. The isolates, all very diverse in response and products, showed promising characteristics, making them valuable strains for further investigation towards commercial applications and CO2 capture.One of the identified cyanobacteria was further investigated for its potentialtoproduce phycocyanin, a nutraceutical with high commercial value, under desert climate conditions. Under elevated temperatures and light intensities, of up to 40 ˚C and 1800 µmol photons·m-2·s-1, Leptolyngbya sp. biomass productivity was up to 45% higher as compared A. platensis, the commercially most commonly produced strain for phycocyanin. High temperatures were found to improve both the biomass productivity and phycocyanin content, with maxima of 1.09±0.03 gX·L-1·d-1 and 72.12±3.52 mgPC·gX-1, respectively. Furthermore, various cell disruption methods and buffers were tested for the efficient extraction of high-purity phycocyanin. The best results were found through bead-beating in phosphate buffer, which showed the highest combined phycocyanin yield (169.9±3.6 mgPC·gX) and purity (7.37±0.16). The extract purities obtained for Leptolyngbya sp. are considerably higher than other reported phycocyanin purities. This, together with the strains capability to maintain relatively high biomass productivities compared to A. platensis, even under such high light intensities, make it a feasible candidate for high-value phycocyanin production in desert environments.The indoortooutdoor transition of thestrainwas also studiedtofurther asses its potential as a commercially interestingstrainfor production in Qatar, with specific focus on the effect of high light intensities on the occurrence of photooxidation. Indoor, the strain was capable of growing at light intensities up to 5600 µmol photons·m-2·s-1, even at inoculation densities of as low as 0.1 g·L-1 (10%). Levels of chlorophyll and phycocyanin showed a significant decrease within the first 24 h, indicating some level of photooxidation, however, both were able to recover. Outdoor cultivation of the strain however showed a different response as compared to indoor experiments; within days of inoculation a loss of chlorophyll, phycocyanin, and culture turbidity was observed, irrespective of inoculum volume, suggesting that the strain had difficulties adapting to the outdoor environment. The culture did, however, recover, and clear morphological differences were observed, such as an increase in trichome length, as well as coiling of multiple trichomes to tightly packed strands. It was hypothesized that the morphological changes were induced by UV-radiation as an adaptation mechanism through increased self-shading. UV radiation however is generally not simulated under laboratory environments, causing a mismatch between indoor optimizations and outdoor realizations.Following the successful outdoor scale-up, a techno-economic analysis was appliedtodetermine the biomass production costs for various cultivation systems and facility sizes. Different cultivation systems, production locations and facility scales were assessed in terms of their effect on biomass production costs. Flat panel and raceway pond cultivation systems had the lowest projected biomass production costs, at 3.0 and 2.9 €·kg-1, respectively, at 100 ha scale. Biomass production costs in tubular systems, both horizontal and vertically stacked, were up to 1.5 times more expensive. Locational differences in production costs throughout the region were minimal. In scaling up from 1 ha to 100 ha production facility, the largest reductions in production costs were made within the first 10 ha (67%), with further scale-up resulting in a mere 13% additional cost-savings. Finally, a sensitivity analysis indicated which improvements would have the largest impact on the overall costs of theprocess, as a recommendation for future research and development. Increased photosynthetic efficiencies and temperature optima had the largest impact on projected costs, which is why efforts to source local thermo- and photo- tolerant strains, such as Leptolyngbya sp., could be the key to unlock the potential of the region for algae commercialization.

Currently, for the EU DEMO, two Breeding Blankets (BBs) have been selected as potential candidates for the integration in the reactor. They are the Water Cooled Lithium Lead and the Helium Cooled Pebble Bed BB concepts. The two BB variants together with the associated ancillary systems drive the design of the overall plant. Therefore, a holistic investigation of integration issues derived by the BB and the installation of its ancillary systems has been performed. The issues related to the water activation due to the 16N and 17N isotopes and the impact on the primary heat transfer systems have been investigated providing guidelines and dedicated solution for the integration of safety devices as isolation valves. The tritium retention and the permeation rates through the blanket and its ancillary systems have been also assessed taking into account different operating points both for the BB and ancillaries and comparing, when possible, the releases with the operating and safety limits. Moreover, the issues related to the tritium start-up inventory as well as the uncertainties on the Tritium Breeding Ratio (TBR) due to the integration of the auxiliary systems within the Vacuum Vessel have been also studied. Finally, the impact of the BB concepts on the safety systems like the Vacuum Vessel Pressure Suppression System is described with a particular focus on the different measures that should be implemented according to the considered concept. All these aspects are then taken into account to drive future developments during the Concept Design Phase., peer-reviewed

Este proyecto tuvo como objetivo diseñar una planta de transformación de cacao para el fortalecimiento de la competitividad agroindustrial en Quibdó, Chocó. Esta cadena productiva, categorizada como prioritaria para el departamento, requiere fortalecimiento para el desarrollo económico y mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de las familias cacaoteras. Para su ejecución se incluyó la caracterización de la cadena productiva del cacao; la identificación de los productos potenciales a base de cacao; los factores que influyen en el diseño de la planta de transformación del cacao y, por último, la ejecución de la ingeniería conceptual, básica y de detalle para dicho diseño. La metodología fue mixta, pues se utilizó información de tipo cualitativo y cuantitativa; para su desarrollo se tuvo en cuenta el análisis de información secundaria de fuentes oficiales como el programa de transformación productiva, los indicadores de productividad del Censo Nacional Agropecuario y de la Encuesta Nacional Agropecuaria del Ministerio de Agricultura; se consideró además la indagación con asociaciones de productores locales mediante socialización en campo mediante grupos focales. Por otra parte, para la identificación de productos se realizó el análisis de vigilancia tecnológica y competitiva, para lo cual se tuvieron como referentes las herramientas de Procolombia y Maro. Para el análisis de factores que influyen en el diseño se realizó análisis de la cadena productiva, los estándares de ingeniería de plantas y el análisis de benchmarking considerando referentes internacionales y/o nacionales. Para el diseño de plantas se tuvo en cuenta factores como la localización, la distribución de planta, y la logística; este trabajo fue ejecutado con el apoyo de herramientas informáticas para el diseño de planta. The objective of this project was to design a cocoa transformation plant to strengthen agro-industrial competitiveness in Quibdó, Chocó. This productive chain, categorized as a priority for the department, requires strengthening for economic development and improvement of the quality of life of cocoa families. For its execution, the characterization of the cocoa production chain was included; identification of potential cocoa-based products; the factors that influence the design of the cocoa processing plant and finally the execution of the conceptual, basic and detailed engineering for said design. The methodology was mixed, since qualitative and quantitative information was used; For its development, the analysis of secondary information from official sources such as the productive transformation program, the productivity indicators of the National Agricultural Census and the National Agricultural Survey of the Ministry of Agriculture was taken into account; It is considered in addition to the inquiry with associations of local producers through socialization in the field through focus groups. On the other hand, for the identification of products, the analysis of technological and competitive surveillance was carried out, for which the Procolombia and Maro tools were used as references. For the analysis of factors that influence the design, an analysis of the production chain, plant engineering standards and benchmarking analysis of international and / or national references were carried out. For the design of plants, factors such as location, plant distribution, and logistics were taken into account; This work was carried out with the support of computer tools for plant design.