Issues of Ethnic Diversity and Just Development in Pakistan with a Special Focus on the Seraiki Ethnic Group

Ethnicity implies the sense of belonging together as the cultural group in a given society. It is a complex combination of racial, cultural and historical characteristics by which people differentiate themselves from other groups. This research envisages the genesis and the evolution of ethnicity as a political concept, the problems of ethnicity in a heterogeneous, multicultural state and the phenomenon of ethno-nationalism in its historical and analytical perspective in the federation of Pakistan with special reference to the status of Seraiki ethnic group. In fact ethnic expressions exist in all multicultural states and distinct ethnic groups evaluate themselves through communal prism. The less privileged groups develop abhorrence against the over – privileged groups due to the persistence of socioeconomic injustices. Factors like the gap between core and periphery, asymmetrical modernization and authoritarian trends lead towards ethnic disruption. Same is the case with Pakistan, a multilingual, multiracial and multiethnic state with federating units reflecting various diversities. The analysis of ethno-nationalism in Pakistan highlights factors, like regional cultural identity, relative deprivation among regions, centralized state structure, denial of accepting regional language as national language, and the absence of democratic values as being the root causes of the Bengali separatism. The assimilationist policies of the government do not acknowledge the regional/ethnic aspirations. Denial of pluralistic approach has been thwarting the demand for provincial autonomy. The nature of ethnic consciousness in the Seraiki belt, analyzed in this article, is found to be nurtured by the perceived socio-economic injustice at intra-provincial level—between the regions of South Punjab and Central and Northern Punjab put together

Kinetic Study and Reactor Simulation of Methycyclohexane Dehydrogenation Reaction for a Mobile Power Plant

Fossil fuels are a major contributor to the today’s world energy demand as well as greenhouse gases causing global warming. The idea to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels for a green future needs a stepwise transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Among the various renewable sources hydrogen is probably the most promising alternative due to its availability, high heating value per unit weight, and zero emissions. The only challenge associated with hydrogen is its safe and feasible storage. The methylcyclohexane-toluene-hydrogen (MTH) system is the one that is considered safe and economical option for hydrogen production, storage and transportation, and utilization. The dehydrogenation reaction of the MTH system is highly endothermic and requires considerable amount of heat energy at a fast rate to have high equilibrium conversions. The successful utilization of hydrogen economy based on the MTH system therefore requires a highly active, selective, and stable dehydrogenation catalyst with its associated reaction kinetics. An intensified dehydrogenation reactor design that supplies high rates of heat transfer to the catalyst bed is also desired. A comprehensive review of the literature regarding kinetics of the methylcyclohexane (MCH) dehydrogenation over Pt containing catalysts has revealed that there is no consensus among the researchers on describing the reaction mechanism, rate-determining step, and inhibition offered by a product. Different researchers have suggested different reaction chemistry and developed different kinetic rate equation. There is hardly a study on the design and simulation of an intensified dehydrogenation reactor that is capable of being used on commercial scale applications. In the present study, an attempt is made to address the discrepancies in the kinetics of the MCH dehydrogenation that exist in the literature. The experimental data of 5 different Pt containing catalysts over a wide range of operating conditions is used to conduct a detailed kinetic study of the dehydrogenation reaction. Various kinetic models are developed based on the power law, Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW), and Horiuti-Polanyi reaction mechanism. The developed kinetic model equations are analyzed both kinetically and statistically and the best fitted kinetic model for each of the catalysts is worked out. The kinetic model based on single-site LHHW kinetics where loss of first hydrogen is the rate limiting step is found appropriate in representing the data of all the catalysts. This leads to report a unified kinetic model for the methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation reaction over any Pt containing catalyst. In addition to that, a new reaction mechanism called associative adsorption of methylcyclohexane is proposed and a kinetic model equation developed based on this mechanism is found successful in representing the relevant experimental data. A 2.0 MW power plant, working on the methylcyclohexane dehydrogenation reaction to yield hydrogen gas as fuel for the power production, is proposed and simulated in Aspen Hysys. The operating conditions such as stream flowrates, temperatures, pressures, and thermal efficiency are worked out. It is found that 17.4148 kmol/h methylcyclohexane are required to produce 2.0 MW net power output. Also, it is found that there is enough energy in the exhaust gases of the turbine that can carry out the dehydrogenation reaction. Using the best-fit kinetic model and the simulation data obtained for 2.0 MW power plant, a novel reactor-heat exchanger design is mathematically modeled and simulated. The proposed reactor configuration is found highly appropriate in carrying out the dehydrogenation reaction.