Distribution channels, elements

Elements that the researcher evaluates about competitors include plants, processes, raw material costs and avakabiHty, distribution channels, product development skills, service faciHties, personnel, pricing poHcies, eg, does the competitor lead or foUow , and practices or concessions to secure and hold large customers. AH of these factors are weighed and then the researcher decides on a strategy for the company. 

For selection of the most suitable distribution channel, the following elements should be considered ... 

Third order optimization of effort across the activities and with suppliers and distribution channels. Third-order fit includes the elements often referred to as supply chain integration. Flexible Production and Finished Goods provide options for distributor customers competing with just-in-time contracts. Flexible Interfaces increases the ability to link up with the supply chains of Acme s customers — notably distributors. 

Beginning with fundamentals of fluid dynamics, correlations for the pressure loss in channel elements are presented, which are concatenated to fluidic networks to distribute fluid homogeneously over a certain area. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations of single elements are exploited for analytical pressure loss correlations. These are employed in lumped element modeling of networks and manifolds, which are too complex for direct simulations. Design strategies and methods are presented for charmel networks, manifolds for parallel channels on a plate and headers for stacked-plate devices. 

Modeling manifold physics is an essential element for defining all geometry elements required to provide sufficient flow distribution to many thousands of parallel channels. No manifold can ever be perfect, and thus the idealized goal of uniform flow distribution will remain elusive. In some cases, tailored rather... 

Similar convection-diffusion equations to the Navier-Stokes equation can be formulated for enthalpy or species concentration. In all of these formulations there is always a superposition of diffusive and convective transport of a field quantity, supplemented by source terms describing creation or destruction of the transported quantity. There are two fundamental assumptions on which the Navier-Stokes and other convection-diffusion equations are based. The first and most fundamental is the continuum hypothesis it is assumed that the fluid can be described by a scalar or vector field, such as density or velocity. In fact, the field quantities have to be regarded as local averages over a large number of particles contained in a volume element embracing the point of interest. The second hypothesis relates to the local statistical distribution of the particles in phase space the standard convection-diffusion equations rely on the assumption of local thermal equilibrium. For gas flow, this means that a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution is assumed for the velocity of the particles in the frame-of-reference co-moving with the fluid. Especially the second assumption may break dovm when gas flow at high temperature or low pressure in micro channels is considered, as will be discussed below. 

Walter et al. studied the flow distribution in simple multichannel geometries by means of the finite-element method [112]. In order to reduce the computational effort, a 2-D model was set up to mimic the 3-D multichannel geometry. Even at a comparatively small Reynolds number of 30 they found recirculation zones in the flow distribution chamber and corresponding deviations from the mean flow rate inside the channels of about 20%. They also investigated the influence of contact time variation on a simple two-step reaction. 

---