This paper reports work done to improve the modeling of complex processes when only small experimental data sets are available. Neural networks are used to capture the nonlinear underlying phenomena contained in the data set and to partly eliminate the burden of having to specify completely the structure of the model. Two different types of neural networks were used for the application of pulpi...

The dynamic viscoelasticity of bamboo kraft pulping black liquor under various temperatures (ranging from 50 to 80 °C) and solids concentrations (60 to 80 wt.%) was studied. Rotational rheometer analysis data indicated that the viscoelastic motion law with a high solids concentration in black liquor was in accordance with the Kelvin model, and black liquor with a medium concentration conformed ...

In the mechanical pulping process, some process state and product quality variables are difficult to measure on-line. In this paper, soft sensors were used to estimate Canadian Standard Freeness (CSF) and outlet consistency (Cout) after the high consistency refining stage of the alkaline peroxide mechanical pulping (APMP) process. After the secondary variables for modeling that are readily avai...

A new fast-growing wood raw material, willow (Salix matsudana cv. Zhuliu), was subjected to pulping to identify the structure of its lignin. Thus, the black liquor lignin (AL) and enzymatic mild acidolysis lignin (EMAL) were prepared, and their molecular structure and molecular weight of the isolated lignin polymers were comprehensively investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (F...

Empty fruit bunches (EFB) from palm oil were characterized. The holocellulose (66.97%), α-cellulose (47.91%), and lignin (24.45%) are similar to wood materials, and various non-wood materials, but the fiber length is shorter (0.53 mm). The influence of operational variables in the EFB pulping [formic acid (75-95%), hydrochloric acid (0.05-0.15%), and time (30-150 min)], on the yield, kappa numb...

In this work we present a flexible real-time dynamic optimisation engine that successfully decouples the controller design and innovation space into three orthogonal axes given by the model formulation, the problem formulation and the solution methods. A simulation of an industrial continuous pulping system is used to run several performance studies with an emphasis on the effect of different m...