Modeling, Control, And Fault Detection Of Energy Systems Under Limited High-Confidence Data Scenarios, Selorme K. Agbleze

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Abstract

Modeling, Control, and Fault Detection of Energy Systems under Limited High-Confidence Data Scenarios

Selorme K. Agbleze

Utilizing process measurements for fault detection is an established approach for processes with adequate datasets. For systems with limited high-confidence data representing fault cases and some amount of low-confidence data, few quantitative hybrid techniques exist for performing fault detection. In real systems, it is time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes not productive to generate enough high-confidence data with fault characteristics of a specific process. The problem of limited high-confidence data scenarios may also arise due to process novelty, the need for new operating conditions, or …

Multiscale Modeling And Gaussian Process Regression For Applications In Composite Materials, Joshua Arp

All Dissertations

An ongoing challenge in advanced materials design is the development of accurate multiscale models that consider uncertainty while establishing a link between knowledge or information about constituent materials to overall composite properties. Successful models can accurately predict composite properties, reducing the high financial and labor costs associated with experimental determination and accelerating material innovation. Whereas early pioneers in micromechanics developed simplistic theoretical models to map these relationships, modern advances in computer technology have enabled detailed simulators capable of accurately predicting complex and multiscale phenomena.

This work advances domain knowledge via two means: firstly, through the development of high-fidelity, physics-based finite …

The Influence Of Heat And Mass Transfer On The Setting Rate Of Adhesives Between Porous Substrates, Mubarak Mohammed Khlewee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dynamic penetration of fluid into a porous media where other changes are occurring such as temperature or concentration is of interest to a number of situations. However, little experimental and theoretical analysis of this situation is found in the literature where most of the previously published works have studied the penetration with constant physical properties, where there is no change of the fluid as it enters the pores. This situation is important in the setting of adhesives in porous medium such as in the setting of hot melt and water-based adhesives in the production of paper based packaging. The …

Modeling And Multi-Objective Optimization Of Wastewater Treatment Process, Navneet Kaur

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Wastewater is water that has already been used and requires treatment before releasing it into natural water bodies like lakes and rivers. Wastewater treatment is the process of removing impurities from wastewater. In this treatment process, the impurities are removed and converted to effluent. This effluent is returned to the water cycle with minimum impact on the environment. Conventional treatment plants consist of three stages: primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment. Treatment of wastewater is quite complicated because of the number of stages involved in this process. Most wastewater treatment plants are operated manually therefore at times it becomes difficult for …

Modeling And Simulation Of A Process That Converts Ethane To Ethylene And Ethylene To Low Density Polyethylene, Ernest Bosire Mokaya

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Ethylene is a critical feedstock and a major building block in the petrochemical industry that is used in synthesizing important products like polyethylene, ethanol, ethylene oxide, ethylene dichloride and ethylbenzene. With increasing demand of plastics, production of ethylene and subsequently polyethylene has increased globally. This thesis conducts the modeling and simulation of an integrated process that utilizes ethane as the primary feedstock to produce ethylene and the subsequent polymerization of ethylene to low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The process combines two different processes into one integrated process: (1) conversion of ethane to ethylene and (2) conversion of ethylene to LDPE. First, a …

Techno-Economic Analysis And Optimization Of Hydrogen And Mechanical Energy Storage Systems, Pavitra Senthamilselvan Sengalani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

The increasing significance of renewable energy sources is thrusting the load cycling of fossil-fueled power plants (FFPP), designed to operate under nominal-load conditions. Integration of energy storage systems (ESS) with the FFPPs such as hydrogen energy storage (HES) and mechanical energy storage facility such as compressed air energy storage (CAES) shows the potential to minimize the levelized cost of electricity during high demand scenarios and also minimize the negative impacts of off-design FFPP operation. The deployment of energy storage facilities at the FFPP level have considerable potential advantages as they can be exploited within the existing equipment items and facilities …

Modeling Solvent Extraction Of Lignin From Hardwoods, Su Pan

McKelvey School of Engineering Theses & Dissertations

This study interprets the observed behavior of solvent extraction of lignin from hardwoods by adapting the framework of the FLASHCHAIN theory (Niksa and Kerstein, 1991; Niksa, 2017). A constitution submodel specifies distributions of molecular weight and reactive sites for native lignin. The model simulates delignification as depolymerization of lignin macromolecules into fragments small enough to be soluble. This process competes with intrachain condensation that consumes labile bridges without forming new fragments, and with recombination that forms larger chains and inhibits further depolymerization. After the soluble fragments are transported from the particle into the bulk solvent, all chemistry continues as long …

Metabolic Modeling Of Cystic Fibrosis Airway Microbiota From Patient Samples, Arsh Vyas

Masters Theses

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder, found with higher prevalence in the Caucasian population, affecting > 30,000 individuals in the United States and > 70,000 worldwide. Due to the astoundingly high rate of mortality among CF patients being attributed to respiratory failure brought on by chronic bacterial infections and subsequent airway inflammation, there has been a lot of focus on systematically analyzing CF lung airway communities. While it is observed traditionally that Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most threatening and persistent CF colonizer due to high antibiotic resistance, recent studies have elicited the roles of other pathogens and it has been widely …

Spatiotemporal Metabolic Modeling Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Biofilm Expansion, Robert Sourk

Masters Theses

Spatiotemporal metabolic modeling of microbial metabolism is a step closer to achieving higher dimensionalities in numerical studies (in silico) of biofilm maturation. Dynamic Flux Balance Analysis (DFBA) is an advanced modeling technique because this method incorporates Genome Scale Metabolic Modeling (GSMM) to compute the biomass growth rate and metabolite fluxes. Biofilm thickness is pertinent because this variable of biofilm maturation can be measured in a laboratory (in vitro). Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) is the model bacterium used in this computational model based on previous research conducted by Dr. Michael Henson, available GSMMs, and the societal significance of patients suffering from …

Development Of A Multi-Scale Mechano-Electrochemical Battery Model, Drew J. Pereira

Theses and Dissertations

As the automotive industry moves towards large format electric vehicles, such as trucks and SUVs, the need for highly efficient, energy-dense electrodes rapidly increases. Several promising active materials have been studied and proposed, however, many of these materials undergo significant volume change upon lithiation and de-lithiation. Cell and pack designers struggle to understand and predict how active material volume change at the particle scale will affect mechano-electrochemical behavior on the electrode, cell, and pack scales. Additionally, many of these active materials suffer in their cycle life due to a mechanically-driven degradation of the electrode matrix. Therefore, the focus of this …

Cyclic Sequential Adsorption Desorption/Thermal-Catalytic Oxidation Of Volatile Organic Compounds: Material Development, Process Advancement/Improvement, And Numerical Modeling, Simulation And Optimization, Busuyi Ojo Adebayo

Doctoral Dissertations

"Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of useful organic chemicals but when emitted have contributed to air pollution. They affect human health, cause environmental degradation and contaminate our waters and soils, so they need to be controlled. When they exist in dilute concentrations, abatement becomes challenging, thus requiring advanced abatement methods, e.g., sequential adsorption desorption/thermal-catalytic oxidation process. The overall goal of this research was to abate dilute streams of VOCs via the process. The specific objectives were to 1) develop novel adsorbent/catalyst dual-function materials (DFMs) for the process, 2) improve the operability of a one-bed-one-column reactor configuration for the …

Modeling Of Rotary Packed Beds For Reactive And Non-Reactive Systems, Chinyere Evangeline Ezeobinwune

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Rotary packed beds (RPBs) are used in a wide range of reactive and non-reactive applications. In this research, a 2-d, first-principles, dynamic model of a non-reactive RPB that is used for heat exchange between the outgoing flue gas from a power plant and the incoming air to the boiler/pulverizer of the power plant is developed. A 2-d, first-principles model of a reactive RPB is developed where a functionalized metal-organic framework (MOF) is used for CO₂ capture.

For the non-reactive system, a Ljungstrom-type air preheater (APH) is considered. Existing models for these rotating heat exchangers are typically 1-d. There are …

Molecular Modeling Of Tethered Polyelectrolytes For Novel Biomedical Applications, Merina Jahan

Theses and Dissertations

Current research trends throughout the world focus on designing intelligent materi- als and systems for diverse applications in all courses of life. Biomaterials research encompasses a major part in this revolution due to the increased effort in fulfilling unmet medical needs to treat complex physiological and neurodegenerative disorders. Polymers play inevitable roles in these research endeavors for their ubiquitous pres- ence in biological systems. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how the polymeric molecules interact within diverse biological environments, to efficiently engineer them for various drug delivery and biosensing systems. The use of experimental design and selection of different polymers …

Experimentation And Modeling Of The Effects Of Along-Wind Dispersion On Cloud Characteristics Of Finite-Duration Contaminant Releases In The Atmosphere, Jessica M. Morris

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Along-wind dispersion, or stretching of the cloud in the direction of the wind, plays an important role in the concentration and modeling of contaminant releases in the atmosphere. Theoretical and empirical derivations were compared for appropriate parameterization of along-wind dispersion. Available field data were analyzed to evaluate and improve previous parameterizations of the along-wind dispersion coefficient, σ_x. An experimental test program was developed and executed in an ultra-low speed wind tunnel at the Chemical Hazards Research Center to determine the effects of the time distribution coefficient on true finite-duration releases from an original area source. Multiple wind speeds, release durations, …

Smart Technologies For Oil Production With Rod Pumping, Brigham Wheeler Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This work enables accelerated fluid recovery in oil and gas reservoirs by automatically controlling fluid height and bottomhole pressure in wells. Several literature studies show significant increase in recovered oil by determining a target bottomhole pressure but rarely consider how to control to that value. This work enables those benefits by maintaining bottomhole pressure or fluid height. Moving Horizon Estimation (MHE) determines uncertain well parameters using only common surface measurements. A Model Predictive Controller (MPC) adjusts the stroking speed of a sucker rod pump to maintain fluid height. Pump boundary conditions are simulated with Mathematical Programs with Complementarity Constraints (MPCCs) …

Reaction Kinetics Of The Hydrogenation Of Phenol In A Tubular Reactor, Michael Selzer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The reaction kinetic parameters for the hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanone are determined for the liquid phase reaction with the palladium catalyst supported on an electrospun PVDF membrane. Runs of the reactor were completed at catalyst loadings of 40, 50, and 60 g/m², and tube diameters of 0.187 in and 0.25 in with a runtime of ten hours. One-dimensional and two-dimensional models of the experimental setup were developed. Fitting data to the one-dimensional model found that the pre-exponential factor was 2.50 x 10⁴, the activation energy was 7.69 kJ/mol, and the order with respect to phenol …

Well Log Interpretation And 3d Reservoir Property Modeling Of Maui-B Field, Taranaki Basin, New Zealand, Aziz Mennan

Masters Theses

"Maui-B is one of the largest hydrocarbon-producing fields in the Taranaki Basin. Many previous works have estimated reservoir volume. This study uses 3D property modeling, which is one of the most powerful tools to characterize lithology and reservoir fluids distribution through the field. This modeling will help in understanding the reservoir properties and enhancing the production by selecting the best location for future drilling candidates. In this study, 3D seismic, core, and well log data were used to build and define a structural model, facies analysis, and petrophysical parameters. After well log interpretation and petrophysical parameter calculations, each parameter was …

Mass And Charge Transport In Hydrated Polymeric Membranes, Marshall T. Mcdonnell

Doctoral Dissertations

Mass and charge transport through hydrated polymer membranes has significant importance for many areas of engineering and industry. Multi-scale modeling and simulation techniques were used to study transport in relation to two specific membrane applications: (1) food packaging and (2) additives for polymer electrolytes.

Chitosan/chitin films were studied due to their use as a sustainable, biodegradable food packaging film. The effects of hydration on the solvation, diffusivity, solubility, and permeability of oxygen molecules in these films were studied via molecular dynamics and confined random walk simulations. With increasing hydration, the membrane was observed to have a more homogeneous water distribution …

Modeling Churn And Annular Flow Regimes In Vertical And Near-Vertical Pipes With Small And Large Diameters, Erika Viana Pagan

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis presents an improved model for gas-liquid two-phase flow in churn and annular flow regimes for small- and large-diameter in vertical and near-vertical pipes. This new model assumes that a net liquid film moves upward along the pipe wall and gas phase moves upward, occupying the majority of the central part of the pipes, and forming a gas core, in both flow regimes. The model is validated using field and laboratory experimental data from several different studies from the literature, in terms of pressure along the wellbore or bottomhole pressure for field conditions (for high-pressure flows in long pipes, …

Measurements And Modeling Of Hydrocarbon Mixture Fluid Properties Under Extreme Temperature And Pressure Conditions, Babatunde A. Bamgbade

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge of thermodynamic fluid properties, such as density and phase behavior, is important for the design, operation, and safety of several processes including drilling, extraction, transportation, and separation that are required in the petroleum. The knowledge is even more critical at extreme temperature and pressure conditions as the search for more crude oil reserves lead to harsher conditions. Currently, there is dearth of experimental data at these conditions and as such, the predictive capability of the existing modeling tools are unproven. The objective of this research is to develop a fundamental understanding of the impact of molecular architecture on fluid …

Mechanistic Models On Enzymatic Hydrolysis And Anaerobic Digestion, Yang Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

For enzymatic hydrolysis, a mechanistic model on enzymatic hydrolysis of pure cellulosic substrates was improved to consider oligomer reactions with beta-glucanases, inhibition of oligomers to cellulases and enzyme decay. Then a novel and general modeling framework was developed for enzymatic hydrolysis of hemicellulose-cellulosic substrates. This mechanistic model, for the first time, took into consideration explicitly the time evolution of morphologies of intertwining cellulose and hemicelluloses. This novel mechanistic model was applied to optimize the composition of enzyme mixtures for substrate conversion and monosaccharides yield during simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis of different lignocellulosic substrates. For anaerobic digestion, the original "Anaerobic Digestion Model …

Measurement And Modeling Of Fire Behavior In Leaves And Sparse Shrubs, Dallan R. Prince

Theses and Dissertations

Wildland fuels and fire behavior have been the focus of numerous studies and models which provide operational support to firefighters. However, fuel and fire complexity in live shrubs has resulted in unexpected and sometimes aggressive fire behavior. The combustion of live fuels was studied and modeled, and the results were assimilated into a shrub-scale fire behavior model which assumes fire spread by flame-fuel overlap. Fire spread models have usually assumed that radiation heat transfer is responsible for driving fire spread, but that assumption is a topic of continuing debate, and appears to contradict some experimental observations. A convection-based shrub-scale fire …

Application Of One Dimensional Turbulence (Odt) To Model Fire Spread Through Biomass Fuel Bed, Abinash Paudel

Theses and Dissertations

Each year fires destroy millions of acres of woodland, lives, and property, and significantly contribute to air pollution. Increased knowledge of the physics and properties of the flame propagation is necessary to broaden the fundamental understanding and modeling capabilities of fires. Modeling flame propagation in fires is challenging because of the various modes of heat transfer with diverse fuels, multi-scale turbulence, and complex chemical kinetics. Standard physical models of turbulence like RANS and LES have been used to understand the flame behavior, but these models are limited by computational cost and their inability to resolve sub-grid scales. Application of several …

A New Diagnostics Tool For Water Injected Gas Turbines - Emissions Monitoring And Modeling, Mohammed Shafi Syed

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Natural gas-fired cogeneration systems are commonly used for large-scale industrial energy production – both electricity generation and heat recovery. Industrial cogeneration currently represents about 8% of the U.S. total electricity generation capacity. Plans call for cogeneration to increase to 20% of the generation capacity by the end of 2030 [1, 2]. Industrial cogeneration systems attain both high thermal efficiency and low emissions. The attainment of low emissions from natural gas fired turbines, in particular low NOx emissions, is of considerable environmental importance especially as coal becomes a less favorable fuel source. Our current project addresses emissions and performance modeling of …

Development Of Catalytic Technology For Producing Sustainable Energy, Syed Ali Z Gardezi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores catalyst technology for the production of renewable liquid fuels via thermo-chemical conversion of biomass derived syngas. Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is a process for converting syngas, i.e. a mixture of CO and H2, into energy rich long chain hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds. This synthesis process involves a number of elementary reactions leading to an array of polymeric products. The economic operation of an FTS process lie in the interplay of both catalyst and reactor design. In relation to catalysis, the nature of chemisorbed species, and the fractional availability of active metal sites determines rate, conversion and yield. Similarly, reactor …

New Approach For Modeling Hybrid Pressure Swing Adsorption-Distillation Processes, Fan Wu

Theses and Dissertations

A new methodology for modeling hybrid pressure swing adsorption (PSA)-distillation processes has been developed. Two hybrid systems were simulated as examples. One is for ethanol dehydration, and the other is for propane/propylene separation. Firstly, a distillation process simulator such as Chemsep was used to simulate the distillation process of the hybrid system, in which the PSA unit was treated as a "black box" with an assumed process performance. In this way, a hybrid PSA-distillation process can be analyzed simply by performing mass balances around these units and running Chemsep to determine the possibility of energy saving compared to a reference …

Analysis Of The Enzymatic Decomposition Of Barley Starch To Simple Carbohydrates, Mark Mathiew Williams

Master's Theses

The decomposition of barley starch plays a fundamental role in the final quality of fermented beverages in the brewing industry. The process of mashing involves steeping milled barley in water to stimulate the enzymatic decomposition of starch into simple carbohydrates. The temperature of the water significantly impacts the activity of the enzymes and in turn the resulting concentrations of sugar products. A kinetic model accurately predicting the types and quantities of sugars formed as a function of mash temperature would serve as a tool to tailor sugar profiles and optimize mashing procedures for a desired product.

Sixty minutes mashes were …

Model Development And Application Of Molecular Simulations For The Study Of Proton Transport In Bulk Water And For The Prediction Of Dipole Moments Of Organic Compounds, Abhishek Asthana

Theses and Dissertations

The present work demonstrates the application of molecular simulations (MD) in two different areas: proton transport in bulk water and estimation of the dipole moment of polar organic compounds. In both areas, relatively few successful and robust methodologies exist. In the first part, a new polarizable water model is developed for MD simulations of the proton transport process. The model was parametrized from a combination of quantum chemical calculations and experimental water properties. The model was implemented in MD simulation studies of liquid water at room temperature, as well as with excess protons. For pure water the model gave good …

A Thermodynamic Framework For The Modeling And Optimization Of Crystallization Processes, David John Widenski

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Crystallization is a widely used chemical engineering separation unit operation process. Since this technique can produce high purity products it is used for the industrial production of many chemical compounds, such as pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and fine chemicals. The production of these products is a multi-million dollar industry. Any methods to improve the production of these products would be highly valued. Thus, the main objective of this work is to target model-based optimal strategies for crystallization operations specifically targeting crystal size and crystal size distribution (CSD). In particular, take the knowledge gained and translate it into an economically and practically feasible …

Modeling And Simulation Of Nanoparticle Formation In Microemulsion Droplets, Sreekumar R. Kuriyedath

Open Access Dissertations

Semiconductor nanocrystals, also known as quantum dots (QDs), are an important class of materials that are being extensively studied for a wide variety of potential applications, such as medical diagnostics, photovoltaics, and solid-state lighting. The optical and electronic properties of these nanocrystals are different from their bulk properties and depend on the size of the QDs. Therefore an important requirement in their synthesis is a proper control on the final nanoparticle size. Recently, a technique has been developed for synthesizing zinc selenide (ZnSe) QDs using microemulsion droplets as templates. In these systems, a fixed amount of a reactant is dissolved …