Tetsuo Fuchino

Solid fuel decomposition modelling for the design of biomass gasification systems

Abstract A novel equilibrium reaction modelling approach is proposed for the efficient design of biomass gasifiers. Fuels and chars are defined as pseudo species with properties derived from their ultimate analyses; tars as a subset of known molecular species and their distribution determined by equilibrium calculations. Non-equilibrium behaviour for gas, tar, and char formation is explained by reaction temperature differences for a complete set of stoichiometric equations. A nonlinear regression, with an artificial neural network (NN), relates changes in temperature differences to fuel composition and operational variables. This first principles approach, illustrated with fluidised bed reactor data, improves the accuracy of equilibrium calculations, and reduces the amount of required data by preventing the NN from learning atomic and heat balances.

A KQML multi-agent environment for concurrent process engineering

Abstract This paper describes the current development of a concurrent process-engineering environment in which the design tasks are supported by KQML speaking agents. In this environment, distributed agents provide software interoperability, data-exchange, and collaboration facilities:

Hazop support system and its use for operation

Abstract In their effort to improve safety, process industries have relied on a variety of information systems for managing safety. However, current information systems are limited in their ability to integrate information along the life-cycle. This paper proposes a Hazop support system, which has three functions as follows. (F1) An intelligent CAD system (DFD, Dynamic Flow Diagram) to visualize plant structure, operation with process behavior, (F2) Intelligent user interfaces to make Hazop analysis easer as well as to edit analyzed results (F3) Interface to generate information models to be used in real-time operation. Specifically, this paper describes the knowledge management strategy which is responsible for carrying out potential hazard identification and safety protection layer design systematically. Finally, a case study illustrates the proposed system.

Pharmaceutical Engineering Strategy for Quality Informatics on the IDEF0 Business Process Model

IntroductionIntricate modern pharmaceutical business activities strive to achieve lean development for the desired quality level by applying the quality by design (QbD) approach.MethodsTo engineer suitable information flows for quality development by this approach, a business process model written in the type 0 method of integrated definition language (IDEF0) was created for biopharmaceuticals development activities by analyzing actual company activities.Results and DiscussionThe model comprises engineering activities of product quality design, recipe development, process engineering, and production. In the QbD approach, the activities are hierarchized into five stages. Information flows that trigger plan–do–check–action (PDCA) cycles beyond the stages (vertical PDCA) as well as those in the same stage (horizontal PDCA) are defined.ConclusionWith the model as reference, it becomes possible to design an extensive information sharing system applying the QbD approach to the activities necessary for a series of functions.

Business process model for knowledge management in plant maintenance

Abstract The physical state of chemical plants changes with deterioration. The mechanism of deterioration is very complicated and its occurrence and progress speed can not be measured during operation directly. Thus, the maintenance is planned based on the presumption, and the information acquired from inspection and repair is integrated into knowledge in the from of technological standard. This knowledge represents the presumption, and consistency between the technological standard and the results of inspection and repair decides the safety of the plant. In this study, a business process model for knowledge management in plant maintenance is developed, and the system requirement for knowledge management supporting environment is defined.

IDEF0 Activity Model Based Design Rationale Supporting Environment for Lifecycle Safety

To manage safety through the plant lifecycle in the process industry, the system environment to enable recording and accessing design rationale of the current process and/or plant is indispensable. Originally, structure of process design activity can be formulated, if its design process could be disclosed explicitly. In this study, the design activity of batch process design was considered based on ANSI/ISA S88.01 standard [1], and a design rationale supporting environment with a feature-oriented approach is provided. From the hierarchal nature of process design, IDEF0 activity model is adopted for representing design process, and design rationale representation scheme is defined by considering the relation between process actions, recipe procedures and process structure in batch processes. These relations are represented by objects and associations, and bidirectional search between design intention and process structure via design rational is enabled.

Acquisition of Engineering Knowledge on Design of Industrial Cleaning System through IDEF0 Activity Model

In order to provide an engineering supporting environment, it is necessary to define the activity of the target engineering. However, in general, engineering is experimental work and is carried out implicitly, so that it was difficult to grasp the neither engineering procedure nor necessary information. In this study, industrial cleaning system is concerned, and the purpose is to clarify its design activity. On the basis of systematization in chemical process design and operation, the object engineering knowledge is formulated into IDEF0 activity model, and it is validated through the interview from the experienced engineers, who are member of Japan Industrial Conference on Cleaning.

A New Scheme for Management-of-Change Support Based on HAZOP Log

Abstract Consistent and effective Management of Change (MOC) is the most important for process safety. Therefore, MOC should be logically and explicitly realized based on Tobe reference model. In this study, a new scheme for MOC support based on engineering activity model through the plant-lifecycle is proposed. Practical and effective utilization of HAZOP logs obtained at plant/process design phase in reusable form by using an intelligent support tool (HazopNavi) is archived.

A Business Process Model for Process Design that Incorporates Independent Protection Layer Considerations

Abstract The purpose of independent protection layers (IPLs) is to prevent the occurrence of hazardous events by designing protective systems against any failure sequences that might lead to a significant hazard. Therefore, it becomes necessary to make sure that the process hazard analysis identifes all potential failure sequences so that the IPLs can be designed in a robust way consistent with the identified failure sequences. However, engineers are not always conscious about the whole process involving the process and plant design. Furthermore, the analysis that precedes the IPL design and the IPL design itself are not incorporated in a systematic way with the process and plant design. This is also related to the lack of design rationale in the design of safety systems, resulting in alarms floods and even more serious problems. This paper presents a business process model for process design that incorporates the notion of independent protection layer design.

Business model of plant maintenance for lifecycle safety

Abstract The plant maintenance plays an important role to maintain safety in the process industries. A physical state of a process plant changes by deterioration, and its mechanism, speed and location varies with changes in operation and plant structure in the lifecycle. Therefore, to maintain safety through the lifecycle, plant maintenance should be designed to cooperate with other lifecycle activities (such as operation and/or revamp) explicitly, and be organized to provide so called PDCA (Plan, Do, Check and Action) cycle to mange changes in the lifecycle. In this study, a business model of plant maintenance is generated into IDEF0 [1] (Integration DEFinition for Function Model) activity model. To make the systematized generic model, applying a template and a novel modeling approach are proposed.