A demand-driven method for scheduling optimal smooth production levels

This paper is concerned with demand-driven production scheduling in a commercial environment where smoothed production plans generation over a rolling horizon is desirable as new observations of demand are received through time. Demands are assumed to be normally distributed and dependent on the previous observed levels. The method of chance constraint of Charnes and Cooper is extended to multi-product production planning with variable workforce, back-ordered inventory, and nonstationary stochastic demand process. Bayesian procedures for revising the chance constraints and several variants of linear-programming-based production planning models are presented. In all cases the proposed methodology ensures that demands are satisfied, at a given level of confidence, while achieving smooth production.     

Spectral distributions in nuclei: General principles and applications

The subject of spectral distribution methods where one derives and applies the locally smoothed forms of observables in nuclei is briefly reviewed. It is well understood that the local forms (with respect to energy) of the level density function, expectation values and strength densities are Gaussian, linear (or ratio of Gaussians) and a bivariate Gaussian respectively. To accomodate symmetries in the above forms, one has to deal with multivariate distributions in general; for example the angular-momentum (J) decomposition leads to a bivariate Gaussian form for the level density. These results extend to indefinitely large spaces by method of partitioning and they generate convolution forms. The origin of these remarkable spectral properties is discussed and shell model examples are given to substantiate their applicability to nuclear systems. Spectral distribution theory is a practical, usable theory because the smoothed forms are defined in terms of traces of low particle-rank operators, and the trace information propagates. Finally we discuss the application of the spectral methods for a wide range of nuclear problems; these include binding energies, orbit occupancies, electromagnetic andβ-decay sum rule quantities, analysis of operators, symmetry breaking, numerical level densities, and determination of bounds on time-reversal non-invariant part of nucleon-nucleon interaction.     

Novel simulated moving-bed adsorber for the fractionation of gas mixtures

The separation of propylene-propane mixture is an energy intensive operation commercially practiced using cryogenic distillation. The separation by pressure swing adsorption has been studied as an alternative. A fixed-bed pressure swing adsorption yields the heavy component as a pure product. The product recovery and the productivity are not high. In a moving-bed process, because of the counter-current solid-gas contact, the separation achieved is similar to that of the fractionation by distillation. Although the moving-bed operation offers the upper limit for the performance of a cyclic adsorptive process, due to mechanical complexities in the handling of solids the 'simulated' moving-bed is preferred. By moving the inlet and outlet ports of streams located along the length of the bed, a moving-bed process can be realized in a fixed bed. We describe here a 'moving-port' system which permits injection or withdrawal of the fluid along the axial direction in a fixed bed. A fixed bed embedded with the moving-port systems emulates a simulated moving-bed adsorber. The proposed adsorber can fractionate a binary gas mixture into two product streams with high purities. It is similar to the Sorbex process of UOP but does not have the eluent as an additional separating agent. A parametric study indicates that high purity products and a higher productivity by an order of magnitude can be achieved with simulated moving-beds compared to the fixed beds.     

Precipitation of beryllium from homogeneous solution in presence of sulphate by hydrolysis of urea

Beryllium can be precipitated from homogeneous solution as a dense and easily filterable precipitate by the hydrolysis of urea, in the presence of sulphate. The method has been applied to the gravimetric determination of beryllium as oxide. The nature of the precipitate thus obtained has been examined by thermogravimetric, infrared, photomicrographic and X-ray methods.     

Application of neutron activation analysis to the measurement of isotope abundance shifts in calcium and potassium

A simple method for the measurement by neutron activation analysis of the isotopic abundance shifts of⁴⁴Ca and⁴¹K in compounds of low volatility is described. Extraction and measurement procedures for the radioactive argon isotopes (³⁷Ar,³⁹Ar and⁴¹Ar produced by (n, α) and (n, p) reactions are also given. The results obtained demonstrate that the accuracy for the measurement of δ⁴⁴Ca is better than by the mass spectrometric method; in the case of δ⁴¹K measurement the accuracy is the same as that obtained with the mass spectrometer. Interfering reactions which yield other rare gases, and their relative contribution to the error in the measurement of δ values are also discussed.     

Trace analysis of heavy metals in high purity materials by helium-3 activation analysis

A method is described to determine traces of V, Fe, Ni, Zn, Nb and Mo in high purity matrices of niobium, tantalum and tungsten by non-destructive 14 MeV³He activation analysis. The influence of nuclear and γ-ray interferences in the determination of these elements is discussed.     

Studies on the formation of manganese molybdate

The reaction of MoO₃ with various oxides of manganese (MnO, Mn₂O₃, Mn₃O₄ and MnO₂) and with MnCO₃ has been studied in air and nitrogen atmospheres employing DTA, TG and X-ray diffraction methods, with a view to elucidating the conditions for the formation of MnMoO₄. Thermal decomposition of MnCO₃ has also been studied in air and nitrogen atmospheres to help understand the mechanism of the reaction between MnCO₃ and MoO₃. The studies reveal that, whereas MnO, Mn₂O₃ and MnO₂ react smoothly with MoO₃ to form MnMoO₄, Mn₃O₄ does not react with MoO₃ in the temperature range investigated (48O–6OO°C). An equimolar mixture of MnCO₃ and MoO₃ reacts in air to yield MnMoO₄, while only a mixture of Mn₃O₄ and MoO₃ remains as final product when the same reaction is carried out in nitrogen. Marker studies reveal that manganese ions are the main diffusing species in the reaction between MoO₃ and manganese oxides that result in MnMoO₄.     

Phthalocyanines as oxidation-reduction indicators

Summary Copper phthalocyanine tetrasulphonic acid has been found to work satisfactorily as an inside indicator in the cerimetric titration of hydro-quinone and metol. It has the advantage that the indicator correction in titrations with 0.01 N solutions of ceric sulphate is much less than with the ferroin indicator, amounting to only 0.02 ml for two drops of the indicator solution.Part II: See Z. analyt. Chem. 163, 1 (1958).