Input mixture for industrial operations

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the field of sustainability, in particular to the field of feedstocks that replace fossil feedstocks and can be used in industrial operations. The present disclosure relates to a method for generating mixture data, to a method for preparing an input mixture, to a method for monitoring and / or controlling the composition of an input mixture, to a corresponding device, to the use of mixture data, to an input mixture and to a computer element.

Description

Input mixture for industrial operations Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure pertains to the field of sustainability, specifically to the field of feedstocks that can replace fossil fuels and be used in industrial operations. This disclosure relates to methods for generating mixture data, methods for preparing input mixtures, methods for monitoring and / or controlling the composition of input mixtures, corresponding apparatus, uses of mixture data, input mixtures, and computer elements. Background Technology

[0002] Chemicals used in plastics are employed in a variety of applications and ultimately enter multiple supply chains to produce a wide range of products containing plastics. Recycling plastics presents challenges due to the complexity of sorting the diverse range of waste products. Introducing plastics back into the chemical value chain is particularly difficult because chemical equipment, such as steam pyrolyzers, has stringent specification requirements. Therefore, chemical producers are limited in their ability to recycle plastics and reintroduce them into the materials value chain. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one aspect, a method for generating mixture data, particularly a computer-implemented method, is disclosed, the mixture data being associated with instructions for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation, wherein the input mixture includes multiple alternative materials for the at least one industrial operation, the method comprising:

[0004] - Provide target mixture data associated with one or more properties of the input mixture used in the at least one industrial operation;

[0005] - Provides data on alternative materials associated with a variety of alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative material;

[0006] - Based on the target mixture and the alternative material data, generate mixture data of multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation;

[0007] - Provide the mixture data for use in preparing the input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

[0008] On another front, an apparatus for generating mixture data is disclosed, the mixture data being associated with instructions for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation, wherein the input mixture includes multiple alternative materials for the at least one industrial operation, the apparatus comprising:

[0009] - A target mixture data providing interface configured to provide target mixture data associated with one or more properties of an input mixture used in the at least one industrial operation;

[0010] - An interface for providing alternative material data, configured to provide alternative material data associated with a variety of alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative material;

[0011] - A mixture data generator configured to generate mixture data of multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation, based on the target mixture and the alternative material data;

[0012] - A mixture data providing interface configured to provide the mixture data for preparing an input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

[0013] In one aspect, a method for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation is disclosed, particularly a computer-implemented method, wherein the input mixture comprises a plurality of alternative materials for the at least one industrial operation, the method comprising:

[0014] - Provide target mixture data associated with one or more properties of the input mixture used in the at least one industrial operation;

[0015] - Provides data on alternative materials associated with a variety of alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative material;

[0016] - Based on the target mixture and the alternative material data, generate mixture data of multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation;

[0017] - Provide the mixture data for use in preparing the input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

[0018] On the other hand, an apparatus for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation is disclosed, wherein the input mixture comprises a plurality of alternative materials for the at least one industrial operation, the apparatus comprising:

[0019] - A target mixture data providing interface configured to provide target mixture data associated with one or more properties of an input mixture used in the at least one industrial operation;

[0020] - An interface for providing alternative material data, configured to provide alternative material data associated with a variety of alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative material;

[0021] - A mixture data generator configured to generate mixture data of multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation, based on the target mixture and the alternative material data;

[0022] - A mixture data providing interface configured to provide the mixture data for preparing an input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

[0023] On the other hand, a method for monitoring and / or controlling the composition of an input mixture for at least one industrial operation is disclosed, particularly a computer-implemented method, wherein the input mixture comprises a variety of alternative input materials for the industrial operation, the method comprising:

[0024] - Provide target mixture data associated with one or more properties of the input mixture used in the at least one industrial operation;

[0025] - Provides data on alternative materials associated with a variety of alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative material;

[0026] - Based on the target mixture and the alternative material data, generate mixture data of multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation;

[0027] - Provide the mixture data for use in preparing the input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

[0028] On another front, an apparatus for monitoring and / or controlling the composition of an input mixture for at least one industrial operation is disclosed, wherein the input mixture includes a variety of alternative input materials for the industrial operation, and the apparatus comprises:

[0029] - A target mixture data providing interface configured to provide target mixture data associated with one or more properties of an input mixture used in the at least one industrial operation;

[0030] - An interface for providing alternative material data, configured to provide alternative material data associated with a variety of alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative material;

[0031] - A mixture data generator configured to generate mixture data of multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation, based on the target mixture and the alternative material data;

[0032] - A mixture data providing interface configured to provide the mixture data for preparing an input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

[0033] In another aspect, an input mixture comprising alternative materials is disclosed, which are blended according to mixture data generated as disclosed herein or via the apparatus disclosed herein. In yet another aspect, an input mixture associated with a digital asset is disclosed, the digital asset comprising at least one decentralized identifier and at least one representation linked to the mixture data.

[0034] In another aspect, the use of mixture data generated according to the method or apparatus disclosed herein for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation is disclosed. In yet another aspect, a method for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation using mixture data generated according to the method or apparatus disclosed herein is disclosed.

[0035] On the other hand, at least one network node of a decentralized communication network is disclosed, which is associated with the production, transportation, use and / or storage of alternative materials and is configured to generate mixture data according to the methods or apparatus disclosed herein.

[0036] On the other hand, this disclosure relates to a computer element, such as a computer program or a computer-readable medium, having instructions that, when executed by one or more computing nodes, such as in a decentralized network, are configured to perform steps of one or more methods disclosed herein, or are configured to be executed by one or more means disclosed herein.

[0037] Any disclosures, embodiments, and examples described herein relate to the methods, systems, apparatuses, chemical products, chemical product passports, licensing rules, uses, and computer elements outlined above and below. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any embodiment and example also apply to all other embodiments and examples. Embodiments

[0038] Due to the diversity of input material streams (e.g., fossil materials, recycled materials, renewable materials, and / or bio-based materials), the properties of these streams vary. For example, the properties of recycled materials may vary depending on the waste composition used for recycling. Similarly, the properties of renewable and / or bio-based materials may vary depending on the production pathway and / or renewable input materials. This variability presents challenges to industrial operations because, depending on the application, industrial operations are linked to feedstock specifications that must be adhered to. By blending alternative materials in a targeted manner based on the requirements of industrial operations, alternative materials can be used more effectively in ecosystems with diverse industrial operations, while reliably managing the quality constraints imposed on feedstocks by industrial operations. In particular, generating blending data for blending alternative materials applicable to one or more industrial operations based on target blending data allows for the reliable, effective, and efficient use of alternative materials.

[0039] The following examples will outline embodiments of this disclosure. It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and / or examples described.

[0040] Alternative materials can include materials that replace fossil input materials as alternative chemical input materials. Alternative materials can include materials that replace input materials from non-renewable, non-recycled, and / or non-biobased materials. Alternative materials can include materials that replace input materials from fossil resources. Alternative materials can include any type of input material that can replace fossil input materials in chemical processing (such as steam cracking, refining, or combustion). Alternative materials can include hydrocarbon mixtures suitable for chemical processing together with or in exchange for fossil input materials. Fossil input materials can include petroleum, coal, and natural gas. Fossil input materials can be non-renewable, non-recycled, and / or non-biobased materials. Examples of alternative materials include recycled materials, renewable materials, and / or biobased materials. Recycled materials can be produced from material waste. Renewable materials can be produced by producing mixtures of hydrocarbons using renewable energy. Biobased materials can be produced from renewable materials or materials from natural resources such as plants, agricultural residues, or food waste. Multiple alternative input materials can involve one or more alternative input material types, wherein alternative input material types can include recycled input materials, biobased input materials, and / or renewable input materials. Multiple alternative input materials can refer to one or more source material types used in the production of multiple alternative input materials. Source material types can refer to the origin of the source material. Source material types can refer to waste types, natural resource types, and / or renewable energy types.

[0041] Alternative material data can be associated with one or more alternative materials and corresponding properties specified by those materials. Alternative material data can relate to the quantity and / or properties of the alternative materials. Alternative material data can relate to the type and / or properties of the alternative materials. Alternative material data may include an alternative material identifier, the type of the alternative material, the quantity of the alternative material, and / or the properties of the alternative material. The type, quantity, and / or properties of the alternative material can be provided by alternative material or by alternative material identifier. Multiple alternative material identifiers may be provided. For each alternative material, one or more properties specified by the alternative material may differ. Depending on the specified property type and / or property value, one or more properties specified by the alternative material may differ. Alternative material data may include property types.

[0042] The quantity of alternative materials may refer to the amount of alternative materials that have been produced and / or are available for use in at least one industrial operation. The quantity of alternative materials may refer to the amount of producible or produced alternative materials having one or more specific properties. The quantity of alternative materials may refer to the amount of raw material that can be fed into an industrial operation. This quantity may specify the mass, volume, quantity, or any other applicable measure related to the amount of alternative materials that have been produced or are to be produced and are available for use.

[0043] Alternative material types can include recycled materials, bio-based materials, and / or renewable materials. Alternative material types can also include one or more source material types used to produce alternative materials. Source material types can include waste types, natural resource types, and / or renewable energy types. Alternative material types can also include one or more sources of source materials used to produce alternative materials.

[0044] In one embodiment, mixture data is generated by determining mixtures within constraints provided by the target mixture data based on the alternative material data, wherein one or more properties of these alternative materials at least partially correspond to one or more properties of the input mixture as specified by the target mixture data for the at least one industrial operation. One or more properties of the alternative materials may at least partially correspond to one or more properties of the input mixture as specified by the target mixture data for the at least one industrial operation. One or more properties of the alternative materials may include, for example, properties according to the composition and / or operation of the alternative materials.

[0045] Industrial operations can be associated with one or more input mixtures specified for a target mixture suitable for the industrial operation. Industrial operations can be characterized by an industrial operation type. Industrial operation types can involve chemical, mechanical, and / or thermal processing operations. Industrial operations can involve inlet processes of a chemical production network, such as fluid cracking, refining, syngas production, or partial oxidation. Industrial operations can involve recovery processes. Industrial operations can involve inlet or outlet processes of recovery systems (such as mechanical recovery, chemical recovery, and / or thermal recovery systems). Industrial operations can involve storage facilities or tank farms. Industrial operations can involve inlet or outlet processes of material flows into or out of storage facilities or tank farms, such as tank filling or mixing. Industrial operations can involve fuel facilities. Industrial operations can involve inlet or outlet processes of material flows into or out of fuel facilities, such as refueling stations or aircraft refueling.

[0046] Input mixtures for at least one industrial process may include one or more alternative materials, one or more fossil input materials, and / or one or more diluents. Input mixtures for at least one industrial process may include multiple alternative materials, one or more fossil input materials, and / or one or more diluents. Input mixtures may differ for different industrial operations. Input mixtures may relate to a target mixture specifying one or more properties suitable for an industrial operation. Input mixtures may relate to a target mixture specifying one or more grades of input mixtures.

[0047] In one embodiment, target mixture data specifies constraints or boundaries of one or more characteristics of the input mixture to be used by an industrial process. Target mixture data may be associated with one or more characteristics of the input mixture used for at least one industrial operation. Target mixture data may be predefined by the industrial process. Target mixture data may specify one or more characteristics of the input mixture for at least one industrial operation type.

[0048] In one embodiment, the mixture data includes machine-readable instructions for monitoring and / or controlling the preparation of the input mixture, wherein the input mixture is prepared based on the mixture data. The mixture data may specify multiple alternative materials to be mixed and supplied to at least one industrial operation. The mixture data may relate to instructions for preparing the input mixture.

[0049] In one embodiment, alternative material data relates to the amount, type, and / or properties of the alternative material. The amount of alternative material may refer to the quantity of alternative material available for use in at least one industrial operation. The type of alternative material may refer to recycled materials, bio-based materials, and / or renewable materials. At least one property or property type of the alternative material may include composition and / or operation. Alternative material data may relate to one or more operational and / or compositional properties or types of one or more alternative materials. Compositional properties may be associated with at least one or more substances that are critical to the input mixture for industrial operation.

[0050] Compositional characteristics can specify at least one or more critical substances in the input mixture and their corresponding critical amounts, such as threshold or range quantities. Operational characteristics can be associated with one or more input mixture characteristics that are critical to the processing of the input mixture by industrial operations. Operational characteristics can specify one or more critical limits of the input mixture characteristics. Critical can refer to any characteristic or substance that may impede the processing of the mixture, negatively impact the processing of the mixture (e.g., by reducing yield), and / or negatively impact the equipment processing the input mixture (e.g., by degrading).

[0051] Alternative material data can be provided by alternative material. Alternative material data by alternative material can be associated with the type of alternative input material. Alternative material data can be provided for multiple alternative materials. Alternative material data can be provided for multiple alternative materials of different types. One or more characteristics can be associated with one or more substances that are critical to the input stream mixture for industrial operation. One or more characteristics of the alternative material can specify one or more critical substances used in one or more industrial processes. One or more characteristics of the alternative material can specify one or more input mixture characteristics that are critical to the treatment of the input mixture.

[0052] Alternative material data (e.g., alternative material data per alternative material) can be associated with the availability of alternative materials to be fed into at least one industrial process.

[0053] Target mixture data (e.g., target mixture data by industrial process) can be associated with the capacity of the input mixture to be fed into the industrial process at each time interval. Mixture data can be generated based on the availability of alternative materials and / or the capacity of the input mixture. Mixture data can be generated based on the industrial process, the capacity of the input mixture, and / or the availability of alternative materials.

[0054] In one embodiment, mixture data is generated by determining a weighting of one or more alternative materials based on one or more properties of the alternative materials and target mixture data. Generating mixture data may include determining a weighting of one or more alternative materials based on one or more properties of the alternative materials. Generating mixture data may also include determining a weighting of one or more alternative materials based on target mixture data from multiple industrial operations, wherein the mixture data is provided according to industrial operations. The weighted sum of at least a portion of the properties of the alternative materials may be less than or equal to at least a portion of the target composition of at least one industrial operation. Mixture data may be provided for multiple industrial processes, wherein the mixture data is provided according to industrial processes.

[0055] In one embodiment, if the mixture data associated with the input mixture generated based on the alternative material data is not within the constraints or boundaries specified by the target mixture data, diluent data is retrieved and / or accessed to generate the mixture data. Diluent data can be provided for generating the mixture data. The diluent data can be associated with the properties of one or more diluents, including fossil input materials, specific chemical formulations, and / or specific compounds. The diluent data can include diluent types, such as fossil input materials, specific chemical formulations, and / or specific compounds, which allow adjustment of one or more properties of the input mixture to suit one or more properties required for, for example, chemical processing, such as the relative or absolute amount of a critical substance. The diluent data can include amounts by diluent or diluent type, such as the quantity or volume of one or more diluents. The mixture data can be generated based on the alternative material data, the target mixture data, and / or the diluent data.

[0056] Target mixture data can be provided by one or more nodes in a decentralized network associated with industrial operations. Target mixture data can be provided to one or more nodes in a decentralized network associated with mixture generation or alternative material providers or manufacturers. Alternative material data can be provided by one or more nodes in a decentralized network associated with alternative material providers or manufacturers. Alternative material data can be provided to one or more nodes in a decentralized network associated with mixture generation or industrial operations. Mixture generation services can be implemented by one or more nodes in a decentralized network associated with industrial operations and / or alternative material manufacturers. Mixture generation services can be implemented by one or more mixture generation nodes in a decentralized network, wherein target mixture data and / or alternative material data can be provided to one or more mixture generation nodes by one or more nodes associated with industrial operations and / or alternative material manufacturers. Attached Figure Description

[0057] The disclosure will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0058] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an example of the flow from the production and / or storage of recycled, renewable, and bio-based materials to their use as feedstocks in industrial operations.

[0059] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a method for blending a mixture of raw materials comprising one or more alternative input materials.

[0060] Figure 3a schematically illustrates an example of a data structure for raw material specifications in an industrial operation.

[0061] Figure 3b schematically illustrates an example of the data structure for alternative material data.

[0062] Figure 3c schematically illustrates an example of the data structure for mixture data.

[0063] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a method for blending raw material mixtures including alternative materials and / or diluents.

[0064] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an operating system including a mixture generator configured to access target mixture data and alternative material data for generating mixture data.

[0065] Figure 6 schematically illustrates the user interface used to generate mixture data and blending.

[0066] Figures 7a and 7b schematically illustrate the blending distribution for different industrial operations.

[0067] Figure 8 schematically illustrates a decentralized network comprising a mixture generator service implemented by nodes associated with industrial operation executors.

[0068] Figure 9 schematically illustrates a decentralized network comprising a mixture generator service implemented by nodes associated with alternative material producers or providers.

[0069] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a decentralized network comprising one or more industrial operation nodes, one or more alternative material provider nodes, and additional nodes implementing mixture generator services.

[0070] Figure 11 schematically illustrates an example protocol for peer-to-peer communication between different nodes in a decentralized network. Detailed Implementation

[0071] The following embodiments are merely examples for implementing the methods, apparatus, systems or applications disclosed herein and should not be considered limiting.

[0072] Figure 1 schematically illustrates an example of the flow from the production and / or storage of recycled, renewable, and bio-based materials to their use as feedstocks in industrial operations.

[0073] To reduce fossil fuel depletion and establish carbon-neutral material streams, alternative material streams are increasingly replacing fossil fuel streams. In this context, a fossil fuel stream can refer to materials produced from fossil inputs. An alternative material stream can refer to a stream of materials produced from recycled, renewable, and / or bio-based inputs. Such material streams may be particularly relevant to industrial operations (such as chemical production) or fuels (such as automotive fuels, aviation fuels, or turbine fuels).

[0074] Recycled materials, renewable materials, and / or bio-based materials can be used as alternatives to fossil materials. Recycled materials can be produced from material waste collected at the end of a product's lifespan, such as plastic waste, textile waste, tire waste, etc.

[0075] Waste can be recycled into recyclable materials through mechanical, chemical, and / or thermal recovery methods, such as pyrolysis oil, electric jet fuel, liquefied methane, hydrogen, or ammonia. Renewable materials can be produced by using renewable energy to produce liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons. Production pathways can include power-to-liquid (PtL) or sun-to-liquid (StL) processes, based on the conversion of renewable energy into liquid fuels and chemicals such as methanol, oxymethylene ethers (OME), ammonia, and Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis products. Renewable energy sources can include wind, hydro, and / or solar power. For example, wind, hydro, and / or solar power can be used to produce hydrogen through methane pyrolysis or water electrolysis, which, combined with carbon captured from the air, can be processed into syngas for the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process. Further, for example, heat generated by wind, hydro, and / or solar power can be used in thermochemical processes to convert H2O and CO2 into syngas for the Fischer-Tropsch (FT) process. Bio-based materials can be produced from renewable materials or materials derived from natural resources such as plants, agricultural residues, or food waste. Renewable materials can be chemically and / or biologically transformed, for example, through fermentation, to produce bio-based feedstocks such as bioethanol, bionaphtha, or biomethanol.

[0076] Due to the diversity of input material streams (including fossil materials, recycled materials, renewable materials, and / or bio-based materials), the properties of material streams vary. For example, the properties of recycled materials may vary depending on the waste composition used for recycling. Similarly, the properties of renewable and / or bio-based materials may vary depending on the production pathway and / or renewable input materials.

[0077] This change presents challenges to industrial operations because, depending on the application, industrial operations are linked to the raw material specifications that must be adhered to. This includes, for example, operational characteristics such as density, calorific value, melting point, freezing point, or flash point; and compositional characteristics such as impurity concentration (e.g., sulfur content by weight) or hydrocarbon content by volume (e.g., branched and straight-chain alkanes by volume, cycloalkanes by volume, alkenes by volume, or aromatic hydrocarbons such as alkylbenzenes (monocyclic) or alkylnaphthalenes (bicyclic) by volume).

[0078] For industrial operations, different levels can be defined to specify different operating characteristics and / or compositional characteristics. For example, aviation fuel, turbine fuel, or automotive fuel must comply with certain specifications that the fuel must meet.

[0079] For kerosene, ASTM D3699-19, for example, defines two grades, 1-K and 2-K (January 6, 2020 version). Similarly, chemical processes such as refining, steam cracking, or gasification are sensitive to certain levels of impurities (such as hydrogen), which can cause corrosion of process equipment. Other operation-related properties may include density, initial and final boiling points, evaporated fuel, evaporation temperature, recovery, residues, volume loss, vapor pressure, freezing point, sulfur content, net heat of combustion, lower heating value, copper strip corrosion, oxidative stability (potential gum and lead precipitates), volume changes during water reactions, or electrical conductivity.

[0080] To effectively utilize alternative materials and manage the quality constraints imposed on feedstocks by industrial operations, a method for blending feedstock mixtures including alternative input materials is proposed. Furthermore, a method for monitoring and / or controlling feedstocks for specific industrial processes is also proposed. The proposed method allows for the efficient use of alternative materials, thereby reducing fossil material depletion, and effectively allocates alternative materials available for use in different industrial operations based on their technical requirements for feedstocks.

[0081] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a method for blending a mixture of raw materials comprising one or more alternative input materials.

[0082] A target mixture can be provided that is associated with one or more properties of a raw material used in at least one industrial operation. One or more properties of the raw material can be predefined according to the industrial operation. The properties of the raw material can relate to operational properties (such as density, calorific value, etc.), compositional properties (such as impurities, specific molecular or atomic content, etc.), or any combination thereof.

[0083] One or more target mixtures can be provided for multiple industrial operations, including one or more types of industrial operations. For example, the target mixture can be provided as an industrial operation. Further, for example, the target mixture can be provided as an industrial operation for multiple industrial operations. Industrial operation types can include one or more chemical operations (such as refining, steam cracking, or gasification), one or more transportation operations (such as aviation, public transportation, or automotive fuel), one or more power generation operations (such as gas turbine fuel for power generation), or any combination thereof.

[0084] Depending on the industrial operation, one or more target mixtures may be suitable for a specific industrial operation. A target mixture may specify the characteristics of the raw material mixture that must be met in relation to the technical requirements that the mixture must satisfy when used as a raw material in the corresponding industrial operation. A target mixture may specify the characteristics of the raw material mixture that it must satisfy when used as a raw material in the corresponding industrial operation, such as one or more threshold levels and / or ranges of the characteristics. Such target mixtures may vary based on, for example, process layout, equipment layout, operating conditions, operating location, or other factors characterizing the industrial operation. A target mixture may specify required and optional characteristics of the raw material mixture. In this way, the most important characteristics can be identified to ensure suitability for the corresponding industrial operation.

[0085] The target mixture can specify thresholds related to the compositional and / or operational characteristics of the feedstock, such as upper and / or lower limits. For example, compositional characteristics can relate to the impurity levels for a specific industrial operation, such as hydrogen content, sulfur content, or metal content. Further, operational characteristics can relate to the operational characteristics for a specific industrial operation, such as density, boiling point, or calorific value.

[0086] Figure 3a shows an example of a data structure for the feedstock specification in an industrial operation. The industrial operation specified by the target mixture can be a chemical operation, such as refining, steam cracking, or gasification. This is one example of an industrial operation, and other operations can be similarly applied.

[0087] The data structure illustrates the target mixtures from two different chemical operations: refining, steam cracking, and syngas generation. Syngas can involve a mixture primarily composed of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which can be produced via the gasification or decomposition of carbonaceous feedstocks such as biomass or landfill waste.

[0088] Figure 3a shows the data structure illustrating the target mixture for two processes. As an example, the target mixture specifies three impurities and two operating characteristics. The target mixture for the refining and steam cracking processes may be sensitive to different impurities and operating characteristics. For example, refining may be sensitive to water content as an impurity (impurity 2). Steam cracking may be sensitive to heteroatoms as an impurity (impurity 3), leading to scaling, coking, corrosion, or downstream catalyst poisoning. Furthermore, for example, refining may require an upper density threshold, while steam cracking may require a lower density threshold. Therefore, the target mixture specifications can be different for the two chemical operations schematically illustrated by the data structure in Figure 3a.

[0089] Returning to Figure 2, alternative material data associated with one or more alternative materials and their properties can be provided. The properties of the alternative materials can be measured and / or obtained from measurements before, during, and / or after their production process. Alternative material data can involve alternative material identifiers, the type of alternative material, the quantity of alternative material, and / or the properties of alternative material. The type, quantity, and / or properties of the alternative material can be provided by alternative material or by alternative material identifier. Multiple alternative material identifiers can be provided. The type, quantity, and / or properties of the alternative material can be provided by alternative material identifier. Multiple alternative material identifiers and a type for each identifier can be provided. The quantity and / or properties of the alternative material can be provided by both the alternative material identifier and the type.

[0090] Alternative material types can involve recycled materials, bio-based materials, and / or renewable materials. Alternative material types can involve one or more source material types used to produce alternative materials. Source material types can involve recycled waste types, such as plastic waste or food waste. Source material types can involve natural resources, such as sugarcane or algae. Source material types can involve renewable energy types (such as wind, solar, and / or hydropower) used to produce source materials, which are then used to produce alternative materials. Alternative material types can involve one or more sources of source materials used to produce alternative materials. Sources can involve the origin of source materials, such as municipal waste, post-consumer waste, or industrial waste. Sources can involve the industry or brand from which the source material originates. Sources can involve agricultural farms or processors from which the source material originates. Sources can involve renewable energy sources from which the energy used to produce the material originates, such as offshore or onshore wind farms, solar parks, or hydroelectric power plants.

[0091] The quantity of alternative materials can refer to the amount of raw material that can be used to feed into industrial operations. This quantity can specify the mass, volume, quantity, or any other applicable measure related to the amount of alternative materials that have been produced or are to be produced and are available for use.

[0092] The properties of the alternative materials can be at least partially reconstructed from those of the raw materials specified by the target mixtures used in different industrial operations. These properties can include the composition and / or operation for each alternative material as described above. The properties of the alternative materials can differ for each type of alternative material.

[0093] Figure 3b illustrates an example of the data structure for alternative material data. The example shown involves two different types of pyrolysis oils with varying properties related to impurities and operating characteristics, including density and lower heating value. The properties of the pyrolysis oils can at least partially reconstruct the properties of the feedstock specified by the target mixture.

[0094] Returning to Figure 2, based on the target mixture and alternative material data, mixture data of multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to at least one industrial operation is generated.

[0095] Mixture data can be generated based on the full set or a subset of alternative material data. For example, alternative material data can be examined regarding the properties provided by the material data according to alternative material identifiers and the properties specified by the target mixture for industrial operation. Alternative material identifiers associated with the properties specified by the target mixture for industrial operation can be selected for mixture generation. Alternative material identifiers associated with the specified properties required for industrial operation according to the target mixture can be selected for mixture generation. In this way, unsuitable alternative materials represented by alternative material data or incomplete datasets can be ignored from mixture generation, making the method more reliable and accelerating mixture generation. In other words, alternative material data can be verified regarding the properties provided by the alternative material identifiers. This verification can include matching the properties specified by the alternative material identifiers with the target mixture for industrial operation. Alternative material identifiers associated with the specified properties required for industrial operation according to the target mixture can be verified and selected for mixture generation.

[0096] Different methods and options exist for generating mixture data. Mixture data can be generated based on scoring methods, optimization methods, physicochemical modeling methods, data-driven modeling methods, and / or hybrid methods combining physicochemical and data-driven modeling.

[0097] The scoring method may include determining scores by alternative material and by industrial operation. For scoring, characteristics required for the industrial operation can be selected and optionally prioritized. The score by alternative material may include determining a score by the characteristic of that alternative material and a perspective characteristic specified by the target mixture, which measures the distance between the characteristic of the alternative material and the corresponding characteristic specified by the target mixture. Based on the score by characteristic, a cumulative and optionally normalized score by alternative material identifier and industrial operation can be determined. The score by characteristic may further include a penalty based on the relevance of a particular characteristic to the industrial operation (e.g., whether the characteristic is required or optional). Based on the penalty score, a cumulative score can be determined. Based on the cumulative score, alternative materials suitable for the industrial operation can be selected for mixing. These scores may be normalized, for example, to a relative percentage scale.

[0098] The optimization method may include determining weighted amounts of one or more substitute materials based on characteristics identified by substitute material identifiers, according to or under the constraints of the target mixture. "According to or under the constraints of the target mixture" may refer to a weighted sum of at least a portion of the characteristics of substitute materials that at least partially conform to the target characteristics of a raw material for at least one industrial operation. Based on the weights, substitute materials suitable for the industrial operation and the amounts of substitute materials determined by the weights can be selected for mixing. In mathematical terms, the objective function or cost function can be minimized under the defined constraints:

[0099]

[0100] .

[0101] in, , , and

[0102] The default value is 1.

[0103] Output: A vector of weights

[0104] i=1,..,N_m represents the measured analytical characteristics.

[0105] j=1,..,N_s represents the substitute material sample

[0106] x_ij: A matrix of the measured properties of the substitute material sample.

[0107] t_j: A vector of permissible properties in the mixture according to the target specifications.

[0108] Output:

[0109] w_j: The fraction of substitute materials used to input the mixture.

[0110] Physicochemical modeling methods may include determining mixture data using first-principles calculations to determine the properties of the mixture of substitute materials based on the properties of the substitute materials. Data-driven methods may include determining mixture data by providing the properties of the substitute materials to a data-driven model, which is parameterized based on historical data including mixture data, target mixture data, and substitute material data (e.g., properties of the substitute materials).

[0111] Additionally or alternatively, mixing or multi-standard methods can be used to determine mixture data. In addition to the properties of the substitute material, any method for generating mixture data, as outlined herein, may include further parameters, such as the amount of substitute material available.

[0112] The generated mixture data can be provided for blending input mixtures for at least one industrial operation. An example of the data structure for the mixture data is shown in Figure 3c. The mixture data may specify an identifier for a substitute material and the amount of the substitute material to be included in the mixture. The mixture data can be provided for monitoring and / or controlling the feed to the corresponding industrial operation for which the mixture is generated. The mixture data can be provided to the operator, for example via a display, for monitoring and / or controlling the feed. The mixture data may be provided to a monitoring and / or control interface for the feed. The mixture data may include monitoring and / or control instructions that specify the feeding operation for blending the mixture before or during the introduction of the substitute material into the industrial operation.

[0113] Raw material mixtures can be blended for use as feedstock in industrial processes. Industrial processes may include storing the blends for later use in industrial operations. For example, when operating a tank farm or aircraft fuel facility, tanks or storage devices may be filled with the blend based on mixture data. Industrial processes may also include using the blends by industrial operations. For example, when operating a chemical process or refueling an aircraft, alternative materials may be blended as feedstock into the chemical process or aircraft based on mixture data.

[0114] Figure 4 schematically illustrates a flowchart of a method for blending raw material mixtures including alternative materials and / or diluents.

[0115] As described, for example, in the context of Figures 2 and 3, target mixtures associated with one or more properties of a raw material for at least one industrial operation, as well as alternative material data associated with multiple alternative materials and properties specified by the alternative materials, can be provided. As described, for example, in the context of Figures 2 and 3, mixture data specifying multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to at least one industrial operation can be generated based on the target mixture and alternative material data.

[0116] To generate mixture data, diluent data can be provided. This diluent data can be associated with the properties of one or more diluents. For example, the properties of one or more diluents can be provided by diluent identifiers. Diluent identifiers can relate to fossil materials such as naphtha, methane, diesel, high-viscosity vacuum residue (HVR), crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), or specific compounds.

[0117] As described herein, for example, in the context of Figures 2 and 3, mixture data can be generated based on alternative material data. If the result of generating mixture data based on alternative material data does not meet the requirements of the target mixture of feedstock to be fed into an industrial operation, the generation of mixture data can be extended to include diluent data, such as fossil material data or compound data. Diluent data can be associated with any material that meets or is associated with the properties of the target mixture. Diluent data can be associated with multiple materials and properties specified by the materials. As described herein, for example, in the context of Figures 2 and 3, mixture data specifying multiple alternative materials and / or diluents to be mixed and supplied to at least one industrial operation can be generated based on the target mixture, alternative material data, and / or diluent data.

[0118] As described, for example, in the context of Figures 2 and 3, mixture data can be provided for blending input mixtures for at least one industrial operation.

[0119] Figure 5 schematically illustrates an operating system including a mixture generator configured to access target mixture data and alternative material data for generating mixture data.

[0120] The operating system can be communicatively connected to the operating equipment configured for blending, for example, via a communication interface. The operating equipment may include, for example, a mixing station, tank farm, mixing unit, and / or feed control for an industrial process. This is not an exhaustive list, and other equipment configured for blending may be used. The communication can be wired or wireless, configured to transmit mixture data to the operating equipment for blending.

[0121] A blend generator can be configured to blend raw material mixtures comprising one or more alternative input materials, and / or monitor and / or control the blending of raw material mixtures comprising one or more alternative input materials. The blend generator can be configured to access target blend data associated with one or more industrial operations. Target blend data can be retrieved from a database storing target blend data. The database storing target blend data can be associated with the industrial operation to which the target blend data pertains. The blend generator can be configured to access alternative material data associated with one or more alternative materials. Target blend data can be retrieved from a database storing alternative material data. The database storing alternative material data can be associated with alternative materials that can be used for blending.

[0122] For example, as described in the context of Figures 2 through 4, a mixture generator can be configured to generate mixture data for one or more industrial operations. The mixture generator can be configured to generate mixture data associated with one or more alternative materials to be mixed for each industrial operation. The mixture generator can be configured to generate mixture data including one or more alternative material identifiers for each industrial operation. The generated mixture data can be provided or transmitted to operating equipment associated with the industrial operation. The mixture data may include an industrial operation identifier and one or more alternative material identifiers for each industrial operation identifier, as well as, for example, a corresponding amount of alternative material for each alternative material identifier.

[0123] For example, as described in the context of Figures 2 through 4, the raw material mixture can be blended based on the mixture data received by the operating equipment.

[0124] Figure 6 schematically illustrates the user interface used to generate mixture data.

[0125] The user interface includes the selection of industrial operations to specify one or more industrial operations for which mixture data will be generated. One or more industrial operations can be selected. Based on the selection, target mixture data can be provided or accessed for each selected industrial operation. This provisioning or accessing can include sending requests to one or more nodes associated with the industrial operation executor and retrieving data on alternative materials available from each producer. For example, as will be described in more detail in the context of Figures 8 through 11, this data retrieval can be implemented via peer-to-peer communication in a decentralized network.

[0126] One or more alternative materials can be selected for one or more chosen industrial operations or per industrial operation. Based on the selection, alternative material data can be provided or accessed per alternative material. Such provision or access may include sending requests to one or more nodes associated with alternative material manufacturers and retrieving alternative material data available from each executor. For example, as will be described in more detail in the context of Figures 8 through 11, such data retrieval may be implemented via peer-to-peer communication in a decentralized network.

[0127] One or more types, sources, and / or properties of alternative materials can be selected. Alternative material data can be filtered based on the selected types, sources, and / or properties. Filtered alternative material data can be provided to generate mixture data.

[0128] For example, as described in the context of Figures 2 through 4, mixture data can be generated and provided based on target mixture data associated with the specifications of the feedstock for each industrial operation and alternative material data associated with various alternative materials and properties specified by the alternative materials. Based on the results, the properties of the mixture and the contribution of each alternative material to these properties can be displayed.

[0129] Upon user confirmation, mixture data can be provided, for example, to trigger the provision of alternative materials from alternative material manufacturers, to trigger the blending of alternative materials, and / or to trigger the feeding of alternative materials into industrial operations based on the mixture data, as detailed in the context of Figures 2 to 4 and Figures 8 to 11.

[0130] Figures 7a and 7b schematically illustrate the blending distribution for different industrial operations.

[0131] Figure 7a shows the blend distribution of the mixture along the x-axis, including the alternative material components AM1-5 and the amount of each corresponding component expressed as a weight percentage (wt%). Figure 7b shows the blend distribution of the mixture along the x-axis, including the alternative material components AM1-AM3, the fossil material component FM1, and the compound-specific diluent component CD1, and the amount of each corresponding component expressed as a weight percentage (wt%). Other distribution plots may show the characteristic contribution of each component to one or more selected properties. Still other distribution plots may show the contribution of the alternative material and the fossil material for each industrial operation.

[0132] Figure 8 schematically illustrates a decentralized network comprising a mixture generator service implemented by nodes associated with industrial operators. The decentralized network may include one or more industrial operator nodes implementing the mixture generator and one or more alternative material provider nodes implementing an alternative material data service.

[0133] For example, as described in the context of Figures 2 through 5, the mixture generator can be configured to access target mixture data and alternative material data, or other data packets. The mixture generator can be configured to access the target mixture data and alternative material data in, for example, a central network as described in the context of Figure 5, or in a network that is at least partially decentralized as shown in Figure 8.

[0134] Figure 5 illustrates, by way of example, the central network architecture of nodes associated with an industrial operation. In this central network setup, a mixture generator can be configured to access a database storing target mixture data and alternative material data. As described, for example, in the context of Figures 2 through 4, the mixture generator can be configured to generate mixture data. The mixture generator can be configured to provide mixture data for blending or to monitor and / or control the feed to the specific industrial operation for which the mixture is generated.

[0135] A decentralized network environment can include one or more network nodes associated with the upstream production of alternative materials, industrial operations using alternative materials, intermediate storage of alternative materials, and / or transportation of alternative materials. Figure 8 illustrates one network node for each type of participant involved via a decentralized network. This is merely illustrative, and there can be more types of participants or multiple network nodes for one type of participant in a decentralized network.

[0136] In the example of Figure 8, one or more network nodes associated with the production of one or more alternative materials can be configured to provide alternative material data. One or more network nodes associated with the storage or transportation of one or more alternative materials can be configured to provide alternative material data. One or more network nodes associated with one or more industrial operations can be configured to retrieve alternative material data, generate mixture data, and provide such mixture data for the preparation of an alternative material mixture to be fed into a specific industrial operation, or to monitor and / or control the feed to the specific industrial operation to which the mixture is generated.

[0137] For communications, particularly point-to-point communications, one or more network nodes may be associated with one or more data services including computer-executable instructions for providing and / or processing data to be transmitted to network nodes requesting data access rights. For communications, particularly point-to-point communications, one or more network nodes may be associated with one or more data consumption services including computer-executable instructions for accessing and / or processing data provided by network nodes associated with data providers or generators. Data generation nodes may be coupled to data owners or entities that own or produce physical products from which data is generated. The data may be generated by a third-party entity representing the entity that owns or produces physical products from which data is generated. Data generation nodes for alternative material data may be associated with alternative material manufacturers or the alternative materials produced. In this example, an alternative material manufacturer may be associated with an alternative material manufacturer that produces the corresponding alternative material. Data generation nodes for target mixture data may be associated with industrial operations using alternative materials. In this example, an industrial operation may be associated with an industrial operation performer. Data generation nodes for mixture data may be associated with industrial operations using alternative materials. In this example, industrial operations using alternative materials can be associated with the storage, transportation, and / or use of alternative materials by the industrial operation performer. Storing, transporting, and / or using alternative materials can include storing alternative materials to be blended, storing blended mixtures, transporting alternative materials to be blended, transporting blended mixtures, using alternative materials to be blended, and / or using blended mixtures.

[0138] In a decentralized setting, a mixture generator can be configured to access target mixture data and / or substitute material data via a decentralized network protocol. The mixture generator can be configured to access target mixture data and / or substitute material data through peer-to-peer communication based on authentication and / or authorization mechanisms. In one example, peer-to-peer communication can be implemented based on IDSA Reference Architecture Model 4.0 released in 2022 and IDSA Rulebook Version 2 released in 2023. The International Data Space (IDS) framework is just one example framework for peer-to-peer communication protocols. Many other examples exist where distributed ledger technology can or cannot be used, and where smart contract implementations running on distributed ledgers can or cannot be used. Distributed ledger technology includes, but is not limited to, Bitcoin (see, for example, the Bitcoin documentation released on November 11, 2022, at: [link missing]). https: / / en.bitcoin.it / wiki / Protocol_documentation Ethereum (see, for example, the Ethereum documentation released on August 15, 2022, at: [link to Ethereum documentation]). https: / / ethereum.org / en / developers / docs / Solana (see, for example, the Solana documentation published on November 11, 2022, at: [link to documentation]). https: / / spl.solana.com / ), Polygon (see, for example, the Polygon document published on November 11, 2022, URL: https: / / wiki.polygon.technology / This can be achieved using technology stacks such as [technology stack name missing] or other implementations that perform data transactions at different levels on a distributed ledger. The description of the example framework is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered restrictive.

[0139] The essentials of data provision, data consumption, and decentralized applications in decentralized networks can be implemented on any technology stack that forms a decentralized network, including, for example, peer-to-peer communication based on authentication and / or authorization mechanisms.

[0140] Decentralized network protocols can be configured to establish peer-to-peer communication between network nodes. To access data packets via a decentralized network, a network node implementing a data consumption service can provide a request including at least one decentralized identifier associated with the requested data packet.

[0141] At least one decentralized identifier may be uniquely associated with the requested data packet. At least one decentralized identifier may be linked to at least one digital representation of the data packet. At least one digital representation may include a representation used to access the data packet or a portion thereof. At least one decentralized identifier may include a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) or a Digital Identifier (DID). At least one decentralized identifier may include any unique identifier uniquely associated with target mixture data, alternative material data, data owner, materials, mixture data generation and / or industrial operation storage, transportation and / or use of alternative materials. Access to the data packet may be controlled by a network node or data owner via at least one decentralized identifier and its unique association with target mixture data, alternative material data, data owner, materials, mixture data generation and / or industrial operation storage, transportation and / or use of alternative materials. At least one decentralized identifier may further involve authentication and / or authorization information linked to or associated with the data packet. Authentication and / or authorization information may be provided for authenticating and / or authorizing services to be provided and / or consumed from the data.

[0142] Requests to the data consumption service can be authenticated and / or authorized to access data packets associated with at least one decentralized identifier via the data service provider, and / or vice versa. Based on successful authorization and / or authentication, access to the data packet or a portion thereof can be granted. For access, at least one decentralized identifier can be provided to the data service provider. The data service provider can use the received decentralized identifier to retrieve the data packet or a portion thereof from a database associated with or accessible to the data service provider. Databases associated with or accessible to the data service provider may include databases related to the data service provider, such as backend databases accessible only to the data service provider or accessible to the data service provider but not to the data consumption service. Databases associated with or accessible to the data service provider may be included in or connected to network nodes associated with the data service provider, such as associating a backend database to a network node associated with the data service provider. The data packet or a portion thereof can be provided to the data consumption service requesting the data. The data packet or a portion thereof can be transferred from the data service provider to the data consumption service. Through a decentralized network, the data packet or a portion thereof can be transferred between network nodes, for example, between alternative material producers and industrial operators and / or mixture data generators. Thus, the data packets required for mixture data generation can be shared directly between one or more network nodes without a central intermediary. This enables transparency of alternative material data, availability of alternative materials, and more efficient use of alternative materials by industrial operators.

[0143] Alternative material data can be provided by one or more network nodes associated with the production of one or more alternative materials, for example, through peer-to-peer communication via a decentralized network. Network nodes configured to generate mixture data can be associated with industrial operators storing, transporting, and / or using alternative materials. In other words, a mixture generator can be provided by network nodes associated with industrial operators storing, transporting, and / or using the materials. In the example of Figure 8, the network node configured to generate mixture data can be associated with an industrial operation node using alternative materials (e.g., for chemical production or aircraft refueling).

[0144] For example, as outlined in the context of Figures 2 through 7, a mixture generator can be configured to generate mixture data. The mixture generator can be configured to provide the generated mixture data for the preparation of a mixture of alternative materials. Providing the mixture data may include: providing requests to one or more network nodes associated with the production of one or more alternative materials, and triggering the supply of alternative materials to industrial operations that store, transport, and / or use one or more alternative materials. Providing the mixture data may also include: providing monitoring and / or control instructions for the preparation of the alternative material mixture. The mixture data may be provided to an operator, for example via a display, for monitoring and / or controlling the feed to the industrial operation or associated storage tank. The mixture data may be provided to a monitoring and / or control interface for the feed to the industrial operation or associated storage tank. The mixture data may include monitoring and / or control instructions that specify the feeding operations for preparing the mixture when the alternative material is fed to the industrial operation.

[0145] Figure 9 schematically illustrates a decentralized network comprising a blend generator service implemented by nodes associated with alternative material producers or providers. The decentralized network may include one or more industrial operating nodes that provide a target blend data service and a blend data consumption service for blending. One or more alternative material provider nodes may implement blend generator, target blend data consumption, and / or provide blend data for blending services.

[0146] Alternative material data can be provided by a database linked to one or more network nodes associated with alternative material providers or manufacturers. A mixture data generator can also be linked to one or more network nodes associated with alternative material providers or manufacturers. Alternative material data can be provided to the mixture data generator.

[0147] Target mixture data may be requested by one or more network nodes associated with alternative material providers or manufacturers. Target mixture data may also be requested from one or more network nodes associated with industrial operations using one or more alternative materials or mixtures of one or more alternative materials. One or more network nodes associated with one or more alternative material providers or manufacturers may implement a target mixture data consumption service that requests access to and / or transmission of target mixture data from data consumption services implemented by one or more network nodes associated with alternative material providers or manufacturers.

[0148] For example, as outlined in the context of Figures 2 through 7, a mixture generator can be configured to generate mixture data for blending based on alternative material data and target mixture data. The mixture generator can be configured to provide the generated mixture data to a data consumption service associated with an industrial operation for the preparation of an alternative material mixture. Providing the mixture data may include: providing a request to one or more network nodes associated with the production of one or more alternative materials, and triggering the provision of alternative materials to an industrial operation that stores, transports, and / or uses one or more alternative materials. Providing the mixture data may also include: providing monitoring and / or control instructions for the preparation of the alternative material mixture. The mixture data may be provided to an operator, for example via a display, for monitoring and / or controlling the feeding to an associated operation or associated storage tank. The mixture data may be provided to a monitoring and / or control interface for the feeding to an industrial operation or associated storage tank. The mixture data may include monitoring and / or control instructions that specify feeding operations for the preparation of the mixture when the alternative material is fed to the industrial operation.

[0149] In other words, target blend data can be provided by one or more network nodes associated with one or more industrial operations using one or more alternative materials or blends of one or more alternative materials, for example, through peer-to-peer communication via a decentralized network. Network nodes associated with one or more alternative material providers or manufacturers can be configured to generate blend data. Therefore, a blend generator can be associated with an alternative material provider or manufacturer. The blend generator can be provided by a network node implementing a blend data generation service. Nodes or blend generators can be configured to provide the generated blend data for blending via a decentralized network. Nodes or blend generators can be configured to provide and / or transmit the generated blend data for blending to nodes associated with industrial operations involving the storage, transportation, and / or use of alternative materials. For example, as described above, blend data can be provided.

[0150] Figure 10 schematically illustrates a decentralized network comprising one or more industrial operation nodes, one or more alternative material provider nodes, and additional nodes implementing mixture generator services.

[0151] A mixture generator can be provided by a network node implementing a mixture data generation service. The mixture generator can be configured to request such data packets from appropriate nodes that provide alternative material data and / or target mixture data. For example, as outlined in the context of Figures 2 through 7, the mixture generator can be configured to generate mixture data for blending based on received alternative material data and target mixture data. The mixture generator can be configured to provide the generated mixture data for blending via a decentralized network. The mixture generator can be configured to provide and / or transmit the generated mixture data for blending to nodes associated with industrial operations involving the storage, transportation, and / or use of alternative materials. Providing mixture data may include: providing requests to one or more network nodes associated with the production of one or more alternative materials, and triggering the provision of alternative materials to industrial operations involving the storage, transportation, and / or use of one or more alternative materials. Providing mixture data may also include: providing monitoring and / or control instructions for preparing mixtures of alternative materials. The mixture data can be provided to operators, for example, via a display, for monitoring and / or controlling feed to industrial operations or associated storage tanks. Mixture data can be provided to monitoring and / or control interfaces for feed to industrial operations or associated storage tanks. Mixture data may include monitoring and / or control instructions that specify feed operations for preparing the mixture when an alternative material is fed into the industrial operation.

[0152] In other words, alternative material data and target mixture data can be provided to network nodes configured to generate mixture data. Network nodes configured to generate mixture data can be associated with service nodes implementing mixture generator services. The mixture generator can be provided by the network node implementing the mixture data generation service. The mixture generator can be configured to provide the generated mixture data for blending via a decentralized network. The mixture generator can be configured to provide and / or transmit the generated mixture data for blending to nodes associated with industrial operations involving the storage, transportation, and / or use of alternative materials. For example, mixture data can be provided as described in the context of Figures 8 and 9.

[0153] Figure 11 schematically illustrates an example protocol for peer-to-peer communication between different nodes in a decentralized network.

[0154] The data consumption service implemented by node 103.1 may include computer-executable instructions for accessing and / or processing data associated with the data owner (such as alternative material data, target mixture data, and / or mixture data). The data service implemented by node 103.6 may include computer-executable instructions for providing and / or processing data associated with the data owner (such as alternative material data, target mixture data, and / or mixture data) for access and / or processing by the data consumption service implementation node 103.1. Figure 11 illustrates a communication protocol based on an example transaction between a decentralized network node associated with the alternative material producer 103.6 and a decentralized network node associated with the mixture data generator 103.1.

[0155] Alternative materials available to participants in a decentralized network can be made visible to them, for example, through a decentralized network database 910. An identifier for each available alternative material, along with a representation associated with it, can be provided by database 910. In this way, multiple alternative material producers and / or providers can offer their alternative materials to the market.

[0156] Users or services that generate mixture data can access such alternative material identifiers. Based on the received alternative material identifier, the data consumption service implemented by node 103.1 can trigger a request to access the alternative material data, as shown by arrow 912. The alternative material identifier can be provided to data services implemented by node 103.6, which is associated with or belongs to a manufacturer or provider of the alternative material. Additionally, authentication and / or authorization information can be provided. The request can be authenticated and / or authorized to access the alternative material data associated with the alternative material identifier. Based on successful authorization and / or authentication, access rights to the alternative material data associated with the alternative material identifier can be granted.

[0157] For access purposes, a substitute material identifier can be provided to the data service implemented by node 103.6, as shown by arrow 912. The data service implemented by node 103.6 can use the received substitute material identifier to retrieve the substitute material data associated with the substitute material from dedicated storage device 902, as shown by arrows 918 and 920. The substitute material data associated with substitute material 904 provided to the data service implemented by node 103.6 can be provided to the data consumption service implemented by node 103.1, as shown by arrow 916. The substitute material data associated with the substitute material can be stored in a dedicated storage device or database 908 associated with the mixture material generator, as shown by arrow 922.

[0158] Alternative material data can be uniquely associated with alternative materials and mixtures through alternative material identifiers or decentralized identifiers. Alternative material data can be transferred between producers and users of alternative materials via a decentralized network. In this way, alternative material data can be shared directly among participants in the decentralized network through a unique association with the alternative material and without a central intermediary. Similarly, target mixture data can be provided for access to data services associated with industrial operations, and mixture data can be provided to data consumption services associated with industrial operations. Other data transmissions, such as those described in Figures 5, 8 through 11, can follow the principles of the communication protocols described above. Other communication protocols that allow decentralized data exchange can be similarly applied. This allows for controlled transparency of alternative material data to optimize mixtures for industrial operations.

[0159] This invention relates to the field of sustainable industrialization, particularly to the blending, control, and / or monitoring of alternative materials as raw materials in industrial manufacturing processes. Production networks undergo dynamic changes to mitigate environmental impact. Consequently, industrial operations are exposed to dynamic variations in the input materials fed into such operations. The methods disclosed herein allow for the reliable and efficient use of alternative input materials. Furthermore, the decentralized network setup enables more efficient handling and monitoring between industrial operators and alternative material producers.

[0160] This disclosure has also been described in conjunction with various preferred embodiments and examples. However, by studying the accompanying drawings, this disclosure, and the claims, those skilled in the art, as well as those who practice the claimed invention, will understand and implement other variations.

[0161] Any steps presented in this document can be performed in any order. The methods disclosed herein are not limited to a specific order of these steps. Nor is it required that different steps be performed in a particular place or on a particular computing node in a distributed system; that is, each step can be performed on different computing nodes using different devices / data processing.

[0162] As used herein, "determine" also includes "initiating or causing determination," "generate" also includes "initiating and / or causing generation," and "provide" also includes "initiating or causing determination, generation, selection, sending, and / or receiving." "Initiating or causing an action" includes any processing signal that triggers a computing node or device to perform a corresponding action.

[0163] In the claims and specification, the word "comprising" or "including" or similar wording does not exclude other elements or steps and should not be construed as limiting oneself to the elements or steps outlined. The indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude multiple. A single element or other unit may perform the function of several entities or items recited in the claims. The fact that certain measures are recited only in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in advantageous implementations or that additional elements may be included.

[0164] Within the scope of this disclosure, provision may include any interface configured to provide data. This may include application programming interfaces, human-machine interfaces (such as displays), and / or software module interfaces. Provision may include transmitting or submitting data to the interface, particularly displaying data to a user or having data used by a receiving entity.

[0165] Any disclosures and embodiments described herein relate to the methods, systems, apparatuses, devices, chemicals, materials, services, uses, and computer program elements outlined above, and vice versa. Advantageously, the benefits provided by any embodiments and examples also apply to all other embodiments and examples, and vice versa.

[0166] All terms and definitions used in this article are to be understood in a broad sense and have their general meaning.

Claims

1. A method for generating mixture data, the mixture data being associated with instructions for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation, wherein, The input mixture includes multiple alternative materials for the at least one industrial operation, and the method includes: - providing target mixture data associated with one or more properties of the input mixture for the at least one industrial operation; - providing alternative material data associated with multiple alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative materials; - generating mixture data specifying multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation based on the target mixture and the alternative material data; - providing the mixture data for preparing the input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein, The data on alternative materials includes the quantity of the alternative materials, the type of the alternative materials, and / or the characteristics of the alternative materials, wherein the quantity of the alternative materials refers to the amount of alternative materials available for use in the at least one industrial operation, wherein the type of the alternative materials refers to recycled materials, bio-based materials, and / or renewable materials, and wherein at least one characteristic of the alternative materials includes composition and / or operation.

3. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The alternative material data relates to one or more operational and / or compositional properties of the one or more alternative materials, wherein the compositional properties are associated with at least one or more substances that are essential to the input mixture for the industrial operation, and wherein the operational properties are associated with one or more input mixture properties that are essential to the processing of the input mixture by the industrial operation.

4. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, Mixture data is generated by determining mixtures within the constraints provided by the target mixture data based on the alternative material data, wherein one or more properties of these alternative materials at least partially correspond to one or more properties of the input mixture as specified by the target mixture data for the at least one industrial operation.

5. The method as described in any one of the preceding claims, wherein, Mixture data is generated by determining the weighting of one or more alternative materials based on one or more properties of the alternative materials and the target mixture data.

6. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The target mixture data specifies constraints or boundaries of one or more properties of the input mixture to be used by the industrial process.

7. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The mixture data includes machine-readable instructions for monitoring and / or controlling the preparation of the input mixture, wherein the input mixture is prepared based on the mixture data.

8. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, If the mixture data associated with the input mixture generated based on the alternative material data is not within the constraints or boundaries specified by the target mixture data, then the diluent data is retrieved and / or accessed to generate the mixture data.

9. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The target mixture data is provided by one or more nodes of the decentralized network associated with the industrial operation, wherein the target mixture data is provided to one or more nodes of the decentralized network associated with alternative material providers or manufacturers.

10. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The alternative material data is provided by one or more nodes of the decentralized network associated with the alternative material provider or manufacturer, wherein the mixture generation service is implemented by one or more nodes of the decentralized network associated with the industrial operation and / or the alternative material manufacturer.

11. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The alternative material data is provided by one or more nodes of the decentralized network associated with the alternative material provider or manufacturer, wherein the alternative material data is provided to one or more nodes of the decentralized network associated with the generation of the mixture or the industrial operation.

12. The method as described in any of the preceding claims, wherein, The mixture generation service is implemented by one or more mixture generation nodes in the decentralized network, wherein the target mixture data and / or the alternative material data are provided to the one or more mixture generation nodes by one or more nodes associated with the industrial operation and / or the alternative material provider or producer.

13. An apparatus for generating mixture data, the mixture data being associated with instructions for preparing an input mixture for at least one industrial operation, wherein, The input mixture includes multiple alternative materials for the at least one industrial operation, and the apparatus includes: - a target mixture data providing interface configured to provide target mixture data associated with one or more properties of the input mixture for the at least one industrial operation; - an alternative material data providing interface configured to provide alternative material data associated with multiple alternative materials and one or more properties specified by the alternative materials; - a mixture data generator configured to generate mixture data specifying multiple alternative materials to be mixed and provided to the at least one industrial operation based on the target mixture and the alternative material data; - a mixture data providing interface configured to provide the mixture data for preparing the input mixture for the at least one industrial operation.

14. An input mixture comprising alternative materials, the input mixture being prepared according to mixture data generated as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 or by means of the apparatus of claim 13.

15. Use of mixture data generated according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or by the apparatus of claim 13 for the preparation of an input mixture for at least one industrial operation.

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