Provided is an apparatus for the automated synthesis of at least one chemical compound including: at least one cartridge including at least one first compartment for providing at least one first reagent for the chemical synthesis of the at least one compound; at least one second compartment for providing at least one second reagent for the chemical synthesis of the at least one compound, and at least one third compartment for purifying the at least one synthesized compound; at least one reaction container for providing the compounds to be fed into at least one of the compartments of the cartridge and/or collecting the reaction product from at least one of the compartments of the cartridge; at least one solvent container; at least two flow patch selecting valve and at least one pump.

Described herein are systems and methods of dynamically using predictive analytics in control of a hydrocarbon refining process. In one aspect, the method comprises analyzing a hydrocarbon sample, wherein the hydrocarbon sample is representative of an amount of hydrocarbon entering a refining process; developing one or more predictive models of the hydrocarbon refining process for the hydrocarbon entering the refining process based on the analysis of the hydrocarbon sample; and dynamically controlling aspects of the hydrocarbon refining process as the hydrocarbon entering the refining process moves through the refining process based on the one or more predictive models.

A device for purifying and formulating a radiopharmaceutical compound includes an automated purification subsystem that automates the loading of a sample into a sample loop for downstream purification via HPLC. A column selector valve is provided to select from one of a plurality of columns. Fractions can be collected as well as the desired product. The device includes an automated formulation subsystem that first sends the product to a dilution reservoir prior to being pneumatically pushed onto a solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge. Automated rinse, elution, and reconstitution are also performed with the automated formulation subsystem. The device may be directly coupled to the output of an automated radiosynthesizer.

A method and a control unit for evaluating lifting force of a gas phase of a substantially vertical upward two-phase flow of a first fluid in a heat exchanger. The first fluid comprises the gas phase and a liquid phase. The method comprises determining that the lifting force of the gas phase is insufficient for lifting the liquid phase based on hot end approach of the heat exchanger and/or on pressure drop of the first fluid over the heat exchanger. The control unit is configured to determine that the lifting force of the gas phase is insufficient for lifting the liquid phase based on hot end approach of the heat exchanger and/or on pressure drop of the first fluid over the heat exchanger. A heat exchanger assembly comprising a heat exchanger and the control unit.

The fuel production system includes a CH.sub.4 recoverer, an electrolyzer, a liquid fuel producer, a steam reformer that performs steam reforming of the methane and produces hydrogen, and a controller. The controller includes: a heat amount determiner that determines whether or not an amount of heat required to increase a temperature in the gasification furnace to a temperature required to gasify the biomass feedstock is less than a predetermined threshold; a H.sub.2 production rate determiner that determines whether or not a production rate of hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold; and a steam reforming controller that controls the steam reformer to perform the steam reforming, and introduces the hydrogen produced, into the gasification furnace, in a case where the heat amount determiner determines that the required amount of heat for the gasification furnace is less than the predetermined threshold, and the H.sub.2 production rate determiner determines that the production rate of hydrogen is less than the predetermined threshold.

A method is described that includes contacting an olefin with a catalyst in a polymerization reactor, polymerizing at least a portion of the olefin to form an alpha olefin reaction product, detecting a condition within the polymerization reactor, determining an average temperature of at least one olefin product particle based on the condition, determining an operating particle temperature threshold using a foul curve, comparing the average temperature of the polymer particle to the operating particle temperature threshold, changing one or more operating parameters in response to the comparing, and maintaining the average temperature of the olefin polymer particle at or below the operating particle temperature threshold in response to changing the one or more operating parameters. The alpha olefin reaction product includes a plurality of olefin polymer particles, and the polymerization reactor includes a reaction mixture that includes the olefin, the catalyst, a diluent, and the alpha olefin reaction product.

A liquid fuel manufacturing system and a liquid fuel manufacturing method which can be operated under conditions that fuel manufacturing costs are minimized at all times are provided. A liquid fuel manufacturing system 1 includes a gasification furnace producing synthesis gas from a biomass raw material, an electrolysis apparatus producing hydrogen from water by means of electricity generated using renewable energy, a liquid fuel manufacturing apparatus manufacturing liquid fuel with synthesis gas generated by the gasification furnace and hydrogen produced by the electrolysis apparatus as raw materials, and a control device controlling the gasification furnace and the electrolysis apparatus. The control device has a cost calculation means for calculating fuel manufacturing costs, a comparison means for comparing current fuel manufacturing costs with the fuel manufacturing costs when there is no supply of hydrogen, a hydrogen supply amount adjustment means for adjusting the amount of supplied hydrogen on the basis of comparison results of the comparison means, an H.sub.2/CO ratio calculation means for calculating an H.sub.2/CO ratio, and an H.sub.2/CO ratio adjustment means for adjusting the H.sub.2/CO ratio.

Provided is an process for the automated synthesis of at least one chemical compound including providing at least one substrate in at least one solvent in the at least one reaction container; automatically passing the at least one substrate through at least one first compartment of the at least one cartridge once or several times and collecting a formed substrate-reagent intermediate product in the at least one reaction container prior to passing the substrate-reagent intermediate product into a subsequent compartment; automatically passing the substrate-reagent intermediate product through at least one second compartment once or several times and collecting a formed reaction product prior to passing the reaction product into a subsequent compartment; automatically passing the reaction product through at least one third compartment for purifying the product once or several times and collecting a purified product in the at least one reaction container.

A foam sensor device is used for monitoring foam within a vessel. The sensor (e.g. accelerometer) is encapsulated inside a water-tight, sterilizable, shell, which floats on a liquid contained. In one example, the foam sensor device includes an accelerometer for detecting and measuring rotation and movement of the foam sensor device and generates movement data based on the detected movement. During a learning or calibration process, sensor data (e.g., movement data) from the foam sensor device is analyzed and classified using machine learning and/or signal processing methods to extract features indicative of different possible foam statuses, including varying levels of foam, or no foam and generate models for the different statuses. During normal operation, the foam sensor device transmits sensor data to an analyzer containing the pre-calibrated models, which determines whether there is foam or not. Based on the foam status, a pump controller adds anti-foam solution.