Abstract: A device and method for the real time optimization of scheduling for manufacturing and information transfer systems and similar applications. The device is a computer readable medium whose contents cause a computer system to generate an optimal solution to a scheduling problem in accordance with a method encoded on the medium. The method employs a filtering algorithm to schedule minimally-conflicting events. The remaining unscheduled events are partitioned into non-interactive sub-sets. Following partitioning, artificial intelligence is used to select one of a plurality of algorithms which is employed to provide an optimal scheduling solution for each sub-set of scheduling requests. The purpose of artificial intelligence is to recognize certain characteristics in request data comprising each sub-set of event scheduling requests and select an algorithm which is optimal for scheduling each particular sub-set.

Abstract: A water absorption pouch comprising an open-mesh, hydrocarbon impervious, cloth (e.g., nylon, polypropylene, fiberglass) container confining a water absorbent polymer phase (e.g., mixture of an alkali metal base hydrolyzed starch/acrylonitrile copolymer or alkali metal alkylcarboxamide and a carboxylmethyl or hydroxyethyl cellulose) and sufficient ballast to make the pouch settle to the bottom of a hydrocarbon liquid. Such a water absorption pouch can be tethered and lowered to the bottom of a hydrocarbon containing vessel to absorb a low lying water phase and then removed, dehydrated by squeezing and reused repeatedly.