Engineering Commons^™

Comparison Of Bio-Mass To Bio-Oil Reactor Systems: Direct Conversion Vs. Companion Coal Gasification, Luci Evans

Honors Theses

The purpose of this project was to define, design, and optimize the economic feasibility of the production of bio-oil from a direct conversion of biomass to bio-oil using fast pyrolysis and a secondary side reaction of the production of a syngas from coal gasification. In the end, a combined process of these two was created to show the new strengths and more efficient options to produce a desired product within a budget. The main objectives of this project were to research the economic feasibility of the biomass and bio-oil industry, obtain a market survey, design two process flow diagrams showing …

Development Of A Flexible Printed Paper-Based Battery, Justone Crosby

Honors Theses

Market demand for flexible electronics continues to grow, which, in turn, increases the demand for flexible energy storage devices. There are several types of energy storage devices available, including the alkaline (Zn-MnO₂) battery, which is the subject of this project. This project's objective was to develop a flexible, printed paper-based battery, which may be a sustainable solution to the increasing market demand. This device is low-cost and can be manufactured commercially using a scalable process.

The proposed device is an alkaline flexible cell, whose components can be printed onto paper. This alkaline system includes a zinc-based negative electrode …

Comparison Of Pretreatment Methods For The Production Of Ethanol, Emily Schulte

Honors Theses

Bioethanol provides a great alternative to regular ethanol sources because it uses secondary substrates that are byproducts of other industries, rather than substrates that compete with food products. The technology is available for industrial bioethanol production, but the production costs just aren’t competitive enough with traditional ethanol production. The goal of this project was not to prepare a proposal for a bio-ethanol plant with all of the associated costs and financial calculations, but rather to provide a direct comparison of two pretreatment methods to highlight which factors could make one method less costly than the other. Pretreatment is a critical …

Paper Recycling Fiber Recapture, Abigail Cortright

Honors Theses

The goal of the Yoda Chemical Company Paper Recycling Fiber Recapture project and subsequent report was to identify and recommend plant optimization opportunities associated with the potential recovery of five waste streams. Additionally, an analysis of the upgrade’s design was completed in order to determine the economic viability of fiber recapture. Beginning the analysis, the five waste streams were identified and analyzed. The waste streams include the top liner, back liner, and filler liner primary cleaner rejects on the K1 machine, the common rejects from under the K3 paper machine, and the tertiary cleaner rejects from stock preparation.

Two different …

Distillation Optimization In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Clayton Carter

Honors Theses

Distillations are commonly used throughout industry to perform separations by phase change. producing a liquid phase and vapor distillate. However. the process of distilling can be slow and energy intensive, providing a limitation in the production process. Possible improvements to current distillation systems were considered on the basis of thermal efficiency, material throughput (cycle time), and material tolerance. Consideration was given to ensure maintenance is straightforward and relatively quick, as fouling, contamination and tank utilization were concerns. Economic viability of the improvements was completed to determine the project benefit. The optimized design offers increased efficiency for production lines.

Natural Polymer Barrier Coatings For Oil And Grease Resistance, Andrew Kathan

Honors Theses

Many barrier coating formulations currently used for oil and grease resistance development in the paper industry have issues with sustainability, biodegradation, or have health concerns associated with them. This thesis tests two starches as barrier coatings to develop oil and grease resistance for food grade packaging sheets. Starch is compatible with almost all papermaking chemicals, is biodegradable, and is easily treated in wastewater systems making it a great candidate to create a more sustainable barrier coating. Cooked hydrophobic starch esters have a unique shear-thinning rheology that allow for high solid starch coatings to be applied with a reduced risk of …

Modeling Product Cooling For Baked And Snack Crackers, Jenna Hagenloch

Honors Theses

The cooling of snack crackers, after the baking process is an important step prior to packaging. A model was developed for cooling the crackers. The model allows for the adjustment of multiple operating conditions, such as temperature, depth of the crackers, and the speed of the line. The completed model provides the user with the ability to predict cooling requirements and to validate pre-existing equipment operating conditions. The model will aid in the design of new equipment as well as modifications to improve existing installations to operate within the desired specifications for each process.