Horizontal well multi-cluster fracturing technology is crucial for the economic development of fractured shale reservoirs. The abundance of natural fractures in shale reservoirs significantly influences the propagation path of hydraulic fractures and determines the formation of complex fracture networks. To investigate the impact of natural weak planes on the geometric parameters of fractures in shale reservoirs, we first conducted tests on the mechanical characteristics of core samples from outcropping shale in the Weiyuan area using the indoor three-point bending method and digital image correlation (DIC) technology, providing data validation for subsequent numerical models. Secondly, considering the interaction between hydraulic and natural weak planes in three-dimensional space, we established a three-dimensional numerical model for horizontal well fracturing to simulate the synchronous competition and expansion of fractures in multi-cluster fracturing. Based on this foundation, we... [more]

Biomaterials are mostly any natural and synthetic materials which are compatible from a biological point of view with the human body. Biomaterials are widely used to sustain, increase, reestablish or substitute the biological function of any injured tissue and organ from the human body. Additionally, biomaterials are uninterruptedly in contact with the human body, i.e., tissue, blood and biological fluids. For this reason, an essential feature of biomaterials is their biocompatibility. Consequently, this review summarizes the classification of different types of biomaterials based on their origin, as natural and synthetic ones. Moreover, the advanced applications in pharmaceutical and medical domains are highlighted based on the specific mechanical and physical properties of biomaterials, concerning their use. The high-priority challenges in the field of biomaterials are also discussed, especially those regarding the transfer and implementation of valuable scientific results in medical... [more]

Dyes are responsible for major environmental issues globally due to their toxicity, large-scale production, and extensive use in various industrial sectors. Pollution caused by hazardous dyes is mainly due to textile waste, which is constantly discharged into the aquatic system, often causing harm to humans and affecting water quality. In recent years, the removal of dyes from industrial textile wastewater has been a major challenge. Numerous technologies and methods have been developed to remove dyes from wastewater and meet clean water requirements. In this study, the effectiveness of activated carbon prepared by chemical activation of jujube stones for textile wastewater treatment was investigated. The effects of the concentration of H3PO4 and the carbonization temperature on the activated carbon’s properties were studied. Several physicochemical methods, including Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, methylene blue i... [more]

The precise identification of faults in centrifugal pumps is crucial for ensuring their safe and stable operation, given their significance as vital industrial equipment. This article aims to rigorously examine and analyze the flow characteristics of centrifugal pumps under two specific conditions: normal blade operation and a single blade breakage fault. Through systematic comparison and in-depth study, this article sheds light on distinguishing flow patterns exhibited by these pumps under both normal and fault scenarios. Utilizing validated numerical simulation methods, a thorough analysis is conducted to explore the flow condition and energy characteristics of the impeller channel following the breakage of a single blade. Additionally, the article investigates changes in the pressure pulsation characteristics of the pump volute as a result. The numerical simulation results reveal that the head of the centrifugal pump decreases at all flow points when a single blade breaks. However,... [more]

Processing aids are utilized during raw sugar manufacturing at sugarcane processing facilities to mitigate unwanted contamination from microorganisms and their associated exopolysaccharides (EPS). Microorganisms in processing facilities contribute to sugar losses through sucrose inversion and consumption, with many bacteria strains subsequently producing dextran and fructan EPS that can cause downstream issues related to viscosity and crystallization. Similar issues also result from the presence of unwanted starches from plant material in cane juices. Processing aids include biocides for bacterial inhibition, and enzymes (e.g., dextranase, amylase) to break down polysaccharides in juices. However, oxidizing biocide processing aids (e.g., sodium hypochlorite) may inhibit enzymatic processing aid activity. In this study, biocides (sodium hypochlorite, carbamate, and hop extract) and enzymes (dextranase and amylase) were simultaneously added to sugarcane juice to measure residual enzymati... [more]

Nitrate catalytic reduction in a continuous system was studied in the presence of Pd-Cu macrostructured catalysts synthesized through a novel washcoating methodology of the pre-formed bimetallic powder catalyst. The present work aims to understand the behavior of the macrostructured bimetallic catalyst in the presence of different reaction conditions in order to achieve the design of an optimized facility that can produce the best catalytic results: maximum NO3− conversion with enhanced N2 selectivity. The residence time of the inlet solution and the catalyst concentration in the reactor proved to be the parameters that most influenced the conversion and selectivity due to the important role that these parameters play in the hydrodynamic conditions of the reactor. A higher loading of catalyst and lower inlet flow rates allow promoting a higher contact time between the three phases that participate in the reaction (G-L-S). The most efficient reaction conditions (three pieces of the macr... [more]

Companies actively seek innovative tools and methodologies to enhance operations and meet customer demands. Maintenance plays a crucial role in achieving such objectives. This study identifies existing models that combine Lean Philosophy and Industry 4.0 principles to enhance decision-making and activities related to maintenance management. A comprehensive literature review on key concepts of Lean Philosophy and Industry 4.0, as well as an in-depth analysis of existing models that integrate these principles, is performed. An innovative model based on the synergies between Lean Philosophy and Industry 4.0, named the Maintenance Management in Sustainable Operations (MMSO) model, is proposed. A pilot test of the application of the MMSO model on a conveyor belt led to an operational time increase from 82.3% to 87.7%, indicating a notable 6.6% improvement. The MMSO model significantly enhanced maintenance management, facilitating the collection, processing, and visualization of data via int... [more]

Metalworking operations rely on the successful application of metalworking fluids (MWFs) for effective and efficient operation. Processes such as grinding or drilling often require the use of MWFs for cooling, lubrication, and chip removal. Electrochemical machining processes require electrolyte flow to operate. However, in those machining operations, a fundamental understanding of the mode of action of MWF is lacking due to the unknown flow dynamics and its interaction with the material removal during the process. Important information on the behaviour of MWFs during machining can be obtained from specific experimental flow visualisation studies. In this paper, promising flow visualisation analysis techniques applied to exemplary machining processes (grinding, sawing, drilling, and electrochemical machining) are presented and discussed. Shadowgraph imaging and flow measurements, e.g., particle image velocimetry, allow the identification of typical flow and MWF operating regimes in the... [more]

Considering the role that offshore CO2 storage is expected to play in deploying carbon capture and storage, enabling cost-efficient and flexible solutions for transporting CO2 to relevant storage locations. While several pipeline and ship-based approaches have been proposed to do so, subsea shuttles are a new concept that has also been proposed in the past couple of years. The present study seeks to understand if this new approach could be cost-efficient compared to current and upcoming ship-based transport concepts.
The result shows that the shuttle concept could be cost-competitive to currently mature 15 barg-based shipping, especially if the subsea shuttle connects to a CO2 pipeline infrastructure rather than to the reservoir directly, although cost-competitiveness is achieved only for a limited range of volumes and distances. However, it is unlikely that this concept would be cost-attractive compared to the upcoming 7 barg-based shipping, and sensitivity analyses highlight that th... [more]

With the advantages of non-pollution and energy-saving, hydrogen fuel cell hybrid vehicles (HFCHVs) are regarded as one of the potential traveling ways in the future. The energy management of FCHVs has a huge energy-efficient potential which is combined with the Internet of Things (IOT) and auto-driving technologies. In this paper, a hierarchical joint optimization method that combines deep deterministic policy gradient and dynamic planning (DDPG-DP) for speed planning and energy management of the HFCHV is proposed for urban road driving scenarios. The results demonstrate that when the HFCHV is operating in driving scenario 1, the traveling efficiency of the DDPG-DP algorithm is 17.8% higher than that of the IDM-DP algorithm, and the hydrogen fuel consumption is reduced by 2.7%. In contrast, the difference in the traveling efficiency and fuel economy is small among the three algorithms in driving scenario 2, the number of idling/stop situations of the DDPG-DP algorithm is reduced compa... [more]

Milk beverage with added natural sweetener is well appreciated by consumers as a nutritious and healthy product with unique sensorial quality attributes. However, this product requires a suitable pasteurization method without significant impact on the sensorial and physicochemical quality characteristics of the product. This study optimizes the pulsed electric filed (PEF) conditions for the pasteurization of a milk-date beverage with conserved physicochemical quality properties. The effect of process variables, such as pulse off time (20, 30, and 40 μs), number of pulses (20, 50, and 80), powder ratio (10, 15, 20, and 25% w/w), storage time (2, 4, and 6 days), and storage temperature (5, 15, and 25 °C) on the responses of total viable count (TVC), color difference (∆E), pH, and total soluble solids (TSS) was evaluated using the RSM central composite design (CCD). Pulse off time, number of pulses, date powder/milk ratio (w/w), storage time, and storage temperature greatly impacted the m... [more]

The gasification of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is characterized by a substantial release of cold energy, which can be utilized for power generation via thermoelectric generator (TEG). Employing a gasifier integrated with a thermoelectric generator for LNG gasification allows for the recovery of cold energy and its conversion to useful power, a process that holds significant potential for widespread application. In the study, a thermoelectric model has been developed for an annular thermoelectric module, which formed a new category of gasifier tube. The influence of the module’s structure as well as the heat transfer parameters on the thermoelectric performance was examined. The results revealed that an optimum height of the thermoelectric leg, specifically 2 mm, maximized the output power while allowing the thermoelectric conversion efficiency to reach a peak of 3.25%. Another noteworthy finding is that an increase in the central angle of the thermoelectric leg leads to a concomitant... [more]

The chemical and biotechnology industries are facing new challenges in the use of renewable resources. The complex nature of these materials requires the use of advanced techniques to understand the kinetics of reactions in this context. This study presents an interdisciplinary approach to analyze cofactor coupled enzymatic two-substrate kinetics and competitive two-substrate kinetics in a fast and efficient manner. By studying the adsorption energy distribution (AED), it is possible to determine the individual parameters of the reaction kinetics. In the case of a single alcohol reaction, the AED is able to identify parameters in agreement with the literature with few experimental data points compared to classical methods. In the case of a competitive reaction, AED analysis can automatically determine the number of competing substrates, whereas traditional nonlinear regression requires prior knowledge of this information for parameter identification.

There is a growing interest in green hydrogen, with researchers, institutions, and countries focusing on its development, efficiency improvement, and cost reduction. This paper explores the concept of green hydrogen and its production process using renewable energy sources in several leading countries, including Australia, the European Union, India, Canada, China, Russia, the United States, South Korea, South Africa, Japan, and other nations in North Africa. These regions possess significant potential for “green” hydrogen production, supporting the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy and promoting environmental sustainability through the electrolysis process, a common method of production. The paper also examines the benefits of green hydrogen as a future alternative to fossil fuels, highlighting its superior environmental properties with zero net greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, it explores the potential advantages of green hydrogen utilization across various industrial, c... [more]

Developing a chemical reaction network is considered the first and most crucial step of process synthesis. Many methods have been employed for process synthesis, such as the attainable region (AR) theory. AR states that a region of all possible configurations can be defined with all the potential products and reactants. The second method is process network synthesis (PNS), a technique used to optimise a flowsheet based on the feasible materials and energy flow. P-graph is an algorithmic framework for PNS problems. P-graph attainable region technique (PART) is introduced here as an integration of both AR and P-graph to generate optimal reaction pathways for a given process. A descriptive AR plot is also developed to represent all the possible solution structures or reaction pathways. A case study of a conventional nitric acid synthesis process was used to demonstrate this technique.

Energy conservation has emerged as a strategic target worldwide, which will enable the protection of the environment and the preservation of natural resources. Energy consumption in buildings for heating and cooling is considered one of the main sources of energy consumption in several countries. For this reason, there is an ongoing search for appropriate alternatives to preserve energy and reduce energy losses. To overcome this challenge, thermal insulation is becoming increasingly essential to save energy. Although a large number of insulation materials are used commercially, this sector still faces various challenges such as cost, thermal and mechanical properties, the end-of-life cycle, as well as health issues, etc. Furthermore, the harmful impact of buildings on the environment and health issues should be considered not only in relation to the energy expended whilst using them but also in relation to the energy performance materials they are constructed from. The insulation mater... [more]

The quality of cotton seed is of great significance to the production of cotton in the cotton industry. In order to reduce the workload of the manual sorting of cotton seeds and improve the quality of cotton seed sorting, this paper proposed an image-detection method of cotton seed damage based on an improved YOLOv5 algorithm. Images of cotton seeds with different degrees of damage were collected in the same environment. Cotton seeds of three different damage degrees, namely, undamaged, slightly damaged, and seriously damaged, were selected as the research objects. Labeling software was used to mark the images of these cotton seeds and the marked images were input into the improved YOLOv5s detection algorithm for appearance-based damage identification. The algorithm added the lightweight upsampling operator CARAFE to the original YOLOv5s detection algorithm and also improved the loss function. The experimental results showed that the mAP_0.5 value of the improved algorithm reached 99.5... [more]

Magnetic granite (MG), a new and low-cost adsorbent, was prepared by the chemical co-precipitation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ using granite (G), which is a magmatic rock type. The adsorption of the Reactive Black 5 (RB5) dye from aqueous solutions on Fe3O4-modified granite was examined in a batch system. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), N2 adsorption−desorption, vibrating-sample magnetometry (VSM), and point-of-zero charge (pHpzc) analysis were used to characterize the prepared MG. Magnetic granite displayed significant magnetization and could be easily separated using external magnets. The maximum adsorption capacity was 29.85 mg/g at 298 K. According to kinetic and isothermal examinations, the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isothermal adsorption were the best fit for adsorption. It was found that the enthalpy change ΔH (kJ/mol) was −31.76,... [more]

A two-dimensional water model was used to simulate the process of combined blowing. The effect of boundary conditions on the size and coordinate distribution of the dispersed phase was investigated. The results showed that the frequency of the dispersed phase at a certain size level is proportional to its size; the coordinates of the dispersed phase can be expressed in a dimensionless form that shows its uniformity of distribution. An empirical equation for the influence of the boundary conditions on the size and coordinate distribution of the dispersed phase in combined blowing process is also presented.

In this paper, an approach was employed to fabricate a curing agent using multiple solid wastes. To determine the optimal mixing ratio, orthogonal and compaction tests were initially conducted, followed by a comparative analysis of the excitation effects elicited by sodium silicate and NaOH. Remarkably, sodium silicate demonstrated superior suitability as an activator. The final composition was established as follows: 4% sodium silicate, 26% carbide slag, 25% granulated blast furnace (GBF) slag, 35% coal fly ash, and 10% flue gas desulphurization (FGD) gypsum. Under controlled conditions of 20% of curing agent content, the unconfined compressive strength of the solidified soil at 7 d attained 1.54 MPa, thereby satisfying the rigorous construction requirements for highways across all levels. XRD and SEM-EDS analyses revealed that the principal hydration products in the system consisted of ettringite, Friedel’s salt, and C-S-H gel. These products enveloped the soil particles, with ettrin... [more]

It is difficult to determine the main microscopic factors controlling reservoir quality due to the strong microscopic heterogeneity of tight sandstone reservoirs, which also makes it difficult to distinguish dominant reservoirs. At the same time, there are fewer experimental samples available, and data collected from relevant research are thus worth paying attention to. In this study, based on the experimental results of high-pressure mercury injection of 25 rock samples from Chang 6 reservoir in the Wuqi area, Lasso dimensionality reduction was used to reduce the dimensionality of 14 characteristic parameters to 6, which characterize the microscopic pore structure, while a combination of different kernel functions was used to construct the multi-kernel function of the multi-kernel model to be determined. A multi-kernel support vector machine (MK-SVM) model was established for unsupervised learning of microscopic pore structure characteristic parameters that affect reservoir quality. B... [more]

This paper proposes an active steering controller for Driven Independently Rotating Wheelset (DIRW) vehicles based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL). For the two-axle railway vehicles equipped with Independently Rotating Wheelsets (IRWs), each wheel connected to a wheel-side motor, the Ape-X DDPG controller, an enhanced version of the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm, is adopted. Incorporating Distributed Prioritized Experience Replay (DPER), Ape-X DDPG trains neural network function approximators to obtain a data-driven DIRW active steering controller. This controller is utilized to control the input torque of each wheel, aiming to improve the steering capability of IRWs. Simulation results indicate that compared to the existing model-based H∞ control algorithm and data-driven DDPG control algorithm, the Ape-X DDPG active steering controller demonstrates better curving steering performance and centering ability in straight tracks across different running conditio... [more]

Betulin is a lupane-type pentacyclic triterpene. It is characterized by a range of biological properties, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. It is also an origin compound for obtaining derivatives with higher biological activity and better bioavailability. Chronic inflammation stimulates the formation of a pro-cancer microenvironment, promoting tumor growth, cell migration, and neoangiogenesis. Many factors, immune system cells, and cytokines and chemokines released by them are involved in this process. Therefore, it has been suggested that the optimal target for anti-cancer drugs in this disease could be substances showing anti-inflammatory activity. The aim of the study was to indicate the direction of changes in the expression of genes related to the inflammatory state in colorectal cancer cells promoted by betulin and its selected alkynyl derivatives. Cytotoxicity assessment was carried out using a sulforhodamine B (SRB) test, whereas lipophilicity was determin... [more]

In this paper, a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was established and verified on the basis of experimental results, and then the effect of hydrogenation addition on combustion and emission characteristics of a diesel−hydrogen dual-fuel engine fueled with hydrogenation addition (0%, 5%, and 10%) under different hydrogenation energy shares (HESs) and compression ratios (CRs) were investigated using CONVERGE3.0 software. And, this work assumed that the hydrogen and air were premixed uniformly. The correctness of the simulation model was verified by experimental data. The values of HES are in the range of 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%. And, the values of CR are in the range of 14, 16, 18, and 20. The results of this study showed that the addition of hydrogen to diesel fuel has a significant effect on the combustion characteristics and the emission characteristics of diesel engines. When the HES was 15%, the in-cylinder pressure increased by 10.54%. The in-cylinder temperature increased by... [more]

Although rice is a well-known source of nutrients, it unfortunately accumulates As the most compared to other cereal plants. Due to the growing interest in rice-based cosmetics, the aim of the work was the multi-element analysis of various home-made (natural) rice waters and commercialized ready-to-use rice-based cosmetics for skin/hair. The total concentrations of Al, As Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in raw rice and rice products were determined using inductively coupled optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) after wet sample decomposition in the presence of concentrated HNO3. In the case of As, the hydride generation (HG) technique was used as a sample introduction system to the ICP OES instrument. Five different procedures, including washing/rinsing, soaking, boiling, and fermentation steps, and three rice types, i.e., white, brow, and jasmine, were used for this purpose. The effects of the water temperature, the contact time of rice grains with water, and the type of... [more]