An actuator is provided that includes a housing, a linear actuating shaft disposed within the housing, a piston coupled with the shaft, and a fluid barrier disposed on an end of the shaft and encircled by the piston. The piston is movable longitudinally between an extended configuration and a retracted configuration upon rotation of the shaft. The fluid barrier engages an inner surface of the piston preventing fluid communication across the fluid barrier. The fluid barrier has a shaft engaging side which receives the shaft and a fluid facing side. A cavity is formed between the piston and the fluid facing side and expands when the piston moves to the extended configuration and contracts when the piston moves to the retracted configuration. A port is disposed in the piston and extends from the cavity to external the piston thereby permitting fluid communication between the cavity and external the piston.

A plant or refinery may include equipment such as reactors, heaters, heat exchangers, regenerators, separators, or the like. Types of heat exchangers include shell and tube, plate, plate and shell, plate fin, air cooled, wetted-surface air cooled, or the like. Operating methods may impact deterioration in equipment condition, prolong equipment life, extend production operating time, or provide other benefits. Mechanical or digital sensors may be used for monitoring equipment, and sensor data may be programmatically analyzed to identify developing problems. For example, sensors may be used in conjunction with one or more system components to detect and correct maldistribution, cross-leakage, strain, pre-leakage, thermal stresses, fouling, vibration, problems in liquid lifting, conditions that can affect air-cooled exchangers, conditions that can affect a wetted-surface air-cooled heat exchanger, or the like. An operating condition or mode may be adjusted to prolong equipment life or avoid equipment failure.

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 chemical production assembly for producing an isocyanate. comprising n serially arranged units U (i), i=1 . . . n, n2. wherein a unit U(i) is for preparing a chemical product cp(i) at a preparation rate PR(i) by using, as starting material. a chemical product cp(i+1) preprared in the unit U(i+1) arranged upstream of said unit U(i), wherein said unit U(i) comprises an inlet means for receiving said chemical product cp(i+1) at an input rate IR(i). said unit U(i) being characterized by a nominal preparation rate PRN(i) and a nominal input rate IRN(i); and a unit U(i+1), i=1 . . . n-1, is for preparing the chemical product cp(i+1) and for supplying said chemical product cp(i+1) to the inlet means of the unit U(i) arranged downstream of said unit U(i+1) at a supply rate SR(i+1) with SR(i+1)=IR(i).

In an embodiment, a polymerization process comprises circulating, with a pump, a reaction mixture slurry in a polymerization loop reactor during a polymerization process, detecting a pressure change in the reaction mixture slurry downstream of the pump, generating, by a pressure controller, a takeoff valve actuation signal for a takeoff valve based on the pressure change, generating, by the pressure controller, a correction to the takeoff valve actuation signal, generating, by the pressure controller, a time delay for the correction, applying the correction to the takeoff valve actuation signal to generate a corrected takeoff valve actuation signal, providing the corrected takeoff valve actuation signal to the takeoff valve after the time delay, and adjusting a position of the takeoff valve in response to providing the corrected takeoff valve actuation signal. The reactor pressure is based on the takeoff valve position.

In an embodiment, a polymerization process comprises circulating, with a pump, a reaction mixture slurry in a polymerization loop reactor during a polymerization process, detecting a pressure change in the reaction mixture slurry downstream of the pump, generating, by a pressure controller, a takeoff valve actuation signal for a takeoff valve based on the pressure change, generating, by the pressure controller, a correction to the takeoff valve actuation signal, generating, by the pressure controller, a time delay for the correction, applying the correction to the takeoff valve actuation signal to generate a corrected takeoff valve actuation signal, providing the corrected takeoff valve actuation signal to the takeoff valve after the time delay, and adjusting a position of the takeoff valve in response to providing the corrected takeoff valve actuation signal. The reactor pressure is based on the takeoff valve position.

A process for operating a chemical process includes deriving coefficients for a process performance model from historical feed data and historical production data; formulating the process performance model using the coefficients; determining a predicted change in production of a product of the chemical process using the process performance model; and changing a processing parameter of the chemical process based on economic data and the predicted change in production of the product of the chemical process.

In an embodiment, a polymerization process comprises circulating, with a pump, a reaction mixture slurry in a polymerization loop reactor during a polymerization process, detecting a pressure change in the reaction mixture slurry downstream of the pump, generating, by a pressure controller, a takeoff valve actuation signal for a takeoff valve based on the pressure change, generating, by the pressure controller, a correction to the takeoff valve actuation signal, generating, by the pressure controller, a time delay for the correction, applying the correction to the takeoff valve actuation signal to generate a corrected takeoff valve actuation signal, providing the corrected takeoff valve actuation signal to the takeoff valve after the time delay, and adjusting a position of the takeoff valve in response to providing the corrected takeoff valve actuation signal. The reactor pressure is based on the takeoff valve position.

The present invention is related to the treatment of plastic material to be destined for chemical recycling processes for the valorisation of substantially plastic material otherwise destined for disposal.

In particular, the invention concerns a process for the pyrolysis of substantially plastic material to obtain at least liquid hydrocarbons at 25 C. comprising the following steps: a) feeding to a pyrolysis reactor a substantially plastic material at least partially in the molten state; b) subjecting said substantially plastic material fed to a pyrolysis reactor to at least an analytical measurement Ax with in-line mode; c) determining the value of at least one Px property of said substantially plastic material by means of said at least one analytical measure Ax; d) installing at least one Ox parameter of the pyrolysis process based on the value of this at least one Px property;
characterised by the fact that at least one analytical measurement Ax provides or consists of the measurement of the spectrum in reflection of the light of the substantially plastic material.

Provided is an automated control system for controlling production in one or more chemical plants comprising: a central acquisition device that acquires a certificate indicating raw material properties of an inbound raw material and automatically derives the raw material properties from the certificate; a central management device that compares the raw material properties with corresponding pre-stored raw material specifications and generates a validation result indicating acceptance or rejection of the inbound raw material; and one or more process control systems for controlling respective chemical reactions in the chemical plants that, if the validation result indicates acceptance of the inbound raw material, control the corresponding chemical plant to feed the inbound raw material. A corresponding automated control method and a chemical park are also provided.