Abstract: A system and method of creating and using a graphical task scheduler. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows a user to graphically build a real time flow task scheduler by providing a “click & drag” functional palette which contains graphical flow chart elements. By creating this graphical flow chart, the user is able to associate a plant layout, or any subpart of the entire plant, to its associated mathematical model. With a graphical flow chart, the user can define one or more exit branches for each task. For tasks with more than one exit branch, the user can specify the conditions causing the sequence to use each branch. Once the flow chart is set up, it can be used as a sequence editor or scheduler. The sequence editor defines the sequence of tasks that will be performed by an on-line application, such as optimization, and also allows scheduling of the on-line application at specific times or periodic intervals.

Abstract: A process for producing gasoline-ethanol blends comprises purifying dilute ethanol by extractive distillation and concentrating the ethanol by distillation followed by one or both of the following steps: (a) liquid extraction of ethanol into heated gasoline or (b) azeotropic distillation of ethanol with an entrainer followed by blending with gasoline.