Microprocessor industry

In addition to performance and density scaling, power dissipation has become a third concern that the microprocessor industry must face. Figure 20.7 [3] shows the increase in power consumption by the microprocessor also following Moore s Law. Power dissipation can be broken into two... 

The Aromax process was developed in the early 1970s by Toray Industries, Inc. in Japan (95—98). The adsorption column consists of a horizontal series of independent chambers containing fixed beds of adsorbent. Instead of a rotary valve, a sequence of specially designed on—off valves under computer control is used to move inlet and withdrawal ports around the bed. Adsorption is carried out in the Hquid phase at 140°C, 785—980 kPA, and 5—13 L/h. PX yields per pass is reported to exceed 90% with a typical purity of 99.5%. The first Aromax unit was installed at Toray s Kawasaki plant in March 1973. In 1994, IFP introduced the Eluxyl adsorption process (59,99). The proprietary adsorbent used is designated SPX 3000. Individual on-off valves controlled by a microprocessor are used. Raman spectroscopy to used to measure concentration profiles in the column. A 10,000 t/yr demonstration plant was started and successfully operated at Chevron s Pascagoula plant from 1995—96. IFP has Hcensed two hybrid units. 

The maximum value of a vibration, or amplitude, is expressed as displacement, velocity, or acceleration. Most of the microprocessor-based, frequency-domain vibration systems will convert the acquired data to the desired form. Since industrial vibration-severity standards are typically expressed in one of these terms, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of their relationship. 

Note that great care must be taken when comparing machinery vibration data to industry standards or baseline data. The analyst must make sure the frequency and amplitude are expressed in units and running speeds that are consistent with the standard or baseline data. The use of a microprocessor-based system with software that automatically converts and displays the desired terms offers a solution to this problem. 

Analyzers especially equipped to handle noise are required for most industrial applications. There are at least three commercially available microprocessor-based analyzers capable of acquiring data below 600 cpm. These systems use special filters and data-acquisition techniques to separate real vibration frequencies from electronic... 

Cathodic protection and associated instruments have developed in-line with the changing monitoring demands of both the onshore and offshore industries. In particular, for potential and current density measurements, far greater quantities of data are sought and are required to be processed into an easily assimilated form. Thus cathodic protection instrumentation has benefited from an increased association with microprocessor-based data handling and storage systems. 

For the electronic component industry, different types of plastics and processes are extensively used. Not too evident is the high powered action of electronics in the plastic toy industry. The digital revolution has opened up a variety of new applications in smart microprocessor-based toys that use technology in innovative ways. Foremost player is the MIT Media Laboratory s Toys of Tomorrow (TOT) consortium that was organized in April 1998. 

The very low storage temperature and low operating temperature specifications (see Section 4.3 below) also required dedicated design features because many of the components, such as the pumps and processors, cannot operate at very low temperatures. Because of this limitation there were added to several components cold start heaters controlled by snap switches. Further, an industrial temperature grade microprocessor was used in the SDU. With the snap switches the cold start heaters can come on when the power is applied at less than about 32°F/0°C. The snap switches cut off the cold start heaters and apply power to the full CBMS II system once their setpoint temperature is reached. 

Fired heaters are extensively used in the oil and gas industry to process the raw materials into usable products in a variety of processes. Fuel gas is normally used to fire the units which heat process fluids. Control of the burner system is critical in order to avoid firebox explosions and uncontrolled heater fires due to malfunctions and deterioration of the heat transfer tubes. Microprocessor computers are used to manage and control the burner system. 

In 1978, I became Director of Research at the LGC. In addition to responsibilities for automation and computerization, my division was responsible for analytical instrumentation, for example NMR and inductively coupled plasmas. As part of this job, I collaborated with the UK s Department of Industry sponsorship scheme promoting the development of analytical instrumentation. Thus, I was actively involved in vetting proposals, modifying them and then controlling them to ensure a good return on investment. At this time, the introduction and availability of microprocessors had become an extremely taxing and topical area of interest. During my years at the LGC, I tackled all... 

Although some of these elements, such as the heater, continuous separator, dehuhhler or microprocessor, are not indispensable, the rest are fundamental to the design of continuous segmented analysers. Although developed primarily for a chnical market, the concepts found many apphcations in the industrial area as well. TTie Laboratory of the Government Chemist (LGC) has estahhshed many automatic analyses for routine use using these concepts [29—31]. 

The concentration of all automation functions within a single computer (Section 7.19.1) may be possible for a very simple plant, but this type of configuration is inefficient for more complex processes for which there could be many thousands of connections between plant and computer. Currently, small industrial processes are controlled by a hierarchical architecture consisting of a central computer (usually a minicomputer), which is used to solve central automation problems, together with a series of peripheral computers (generally microprocessors which are called front-end computers) which control different sections of the plant (Fig. 7.104a). This type of architecture is termed a decentralised computer system. 

Microprocessor-based control systems are marketed under a variety of acronyms and not all will be true DCCSs. Of particular note are the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems which form an increasingly central part of the operations of many industries (e.g. offshore oil and gas platforms, petrochemical complexes, pulp and paper works). SCADA describes a communications system whose principal function is to join instrumentation and control into a cohesive package(57) and, particularly, the supervision and management of remote ... 

Electronic modules are the industry standard for controllers employing a wide range of control strategies. Although, more recently, there has been rapid development of microprocessor-based controllers (see Sections 7.20 and 7.21) where control actions are simulated using software, hard wired systems based upon the integrated circuit (IQ and operational amplifier (op-amp) are still much in evidence. 

Compared to carbon, the related element silicon is relatively unimportant, so far as uses for the uncombined element are concerned. Most of the silicon produced commercially is used in the metallurgical and glass industries. In metallurgy, it is ued in the manufacture of a useful iron-silicon alloy known as ferrosilicon. Silicon is also used as an additive in organic products such as plastic and rubber compounds, and elemental silicon is a fundamental material in semiconductor and microprocessor manufacturing. 

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