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Full-Text Articles in Chemical Engineering

Rock Structural Changes Monitored By Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors And Nuclear Magnetic Resonance During Static And Dynamic Carbonated Brine Core Flooding Experiments, Bruno Da Silva Falcão, Lionel Esteban, Ausama Giwelli, Ahmed Al-Yaseri, Alireza Keshavarz, Jeremie Dautriat, Stephanie Vialle, Stefan Iglauer Jul 2024

Rock Structural Changes Monitored By Fibre Bragg Grating Sensors And Nuclear Magnetic Resonance During Static And Dynamic Carbonated Brine Core Flooding Experiments, Bruno Da Silva Falcão, Lionel Esteban, Ausama Giwelli, Ahmed Al-Yaseri, Alireza Keshavarz, Jeremie Dautriat, Stephanie Vialle, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

One proposed solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is the capture and storage of carbon dioxide (CCS) in geological formations such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs. Injected carbon dioxide (CO2) forms carbonic acid once dissolved in the formation water, which can lead to dissolution of certain types of rock minerals. This may weaken rock geomechanical properties that can jeopardize the safety of long-term storage. In this work, the use of Fibre Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors associated with Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was investigated to measure the change in rock strain during core flooding experiments. Optical fibres were glued onto …


Understanding The Impact Of Microplastic Contamination On Soil Quality And Eco-Toxicological Risks In Horticulture: A Comprehensive Review, N. P. Gayathri, Geena Prasad, Vaishna Prabhakaran, Vishnu Priya Jun 2024

Understanding The Impact Of Microplastic Contamination On Soil Quality And Eco-Toxicological Risks In Horticulture: A Comprehensive Review, N. P. Gayathri, Geena Prasad, Vaishna Prabhakaran, Vishnu Priya

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The horticulture sector, essential for global food production, confronts significant challenges with prevalent pollutants, mainly microplastics. The presence of microplastics in the food chain has induced physiological stress and a multifactorial food safety concern. The complexity of the problem, arising from intricate interactions among microplastics, organisms, and ecosystems, poses a substantial challenge to food safety, necessitating an immediate strategic perspective due to the associated risks to human health and eco-toxicology. Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding their impact on terrestrial ecosystems, especially in horticulture. This study addresses the urgent need to comprehend the implications of microplastics on soil health, eco-toxicological risks, …


Advancing Simultaneous Extraction And Sequential Single-Particle Icp-Ms Analysis For Metallic Nanoparticle Mixtures In Plant Tissues, Lei Xu, Xingmao Ma, John Yang, Joel G. Burken, Paul Ki-Souk Nam, Honglan Shi, Hu Yang May 2024

Advancing Simultaneous Extraction And Sequential Single-Particle Icp-Ms Analysis For Metallic Nanoparticle Mixtures In Plant Tissues, Lei Xu, Xingmao Ma, John Yang, Joel G. Burken, Paul Ki-Souk Nam, Honglan Shi, Hu Yang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Engineered Nanoparticles (ENPs) Have Been Increasingly Used in Agricultural Operations, leading to an Urgent Need for Robust Methods to Analyze Co-Occurring ENPs in Plant Tissues. in Response, This Study Advanced the Simultaneous Extraction of Coexisting Silver, Cerium Oxide, and Copper Oxide ENPs in Lettuce Shoots and Roots using Macerozyme R-10 and Analyzed Them by Single-Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Additionally, the Standard Stock Suspensions of the ENPs Were Stabilized with Citrate, and the Long-Term Stability (Up to 5 Months) Was Examined for the First Time. the Method Performance Results Displayed Satisfactory Accuracies and Precisions and Achieved Low Particle Concentration …


An Assessment Of Methane Cracking Technologies For Hydrogen Production And Reduction Of Greenhouse Gases, Alisa E. Pjetrovic May 2024

An Assessment Of Methane Cracking Technologies For Hydrogen Production And Reduction Of Greenhouse Gases, Alisa E. Pjetrovic

2024 Spring Honors Capstone Projects

Methane reformation and methane pyrolysis involve separating, or cracking, the components of methane, leading to the production of hydrogen gas, and in the case of pyrolysis, solid carbon. Because methane is known as a leading cause of climate change, these technologies are gaining attention as the global community moves to address methane as a greenhouse gas. This study aims to assess, through a systematic literature review, the current state-of-the-art methane cracking technologies based on seven technology criteria: hydrogen production capability, environmental impact, value of carbon produced, reaction stability, operating temperature requirements, energy requirements, and Technology Readiness Level (TRL). This study …


Enhanced Phosphogypsum Thermal Reduction By Carbon In Presence Of Sodium Chloride At High Temperature, Li Chao, An Xuebin, Jing Hu, Yixiao Wang, Shizhao Wang, Yunshan Wang, Gang Yang, Yong Sun May 2024

Enhanced Phosphogypsum Thermal Reduction By Carbon In Presence Of Sodium Chloride At High Temperature, Li Chao, An Xuebin, Jing Hu, Yixiao Wang, Shizhao Wang, Yunshan Wang, Gang Yang, Yong Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper reports an enhanced approach of thermal reduction of phosphogypsum (PG) in the presence of sodium chloride (NaCl) in its molten phase. The thermodynamic together with in-situ thermogravimetric-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-FTIR) result indicates the yield of CaS (solid) at the investigated temperature range (800–850 °C). Addition of NaCl not only appreciably reduces the activation energy of this reaction (800–850 °C) on average from 315 to 175 (kJ·mol−1) materially, but also significantly improve the conversion from CaSO4 to CaS. Additionally, the NaCl based waste salt (NaCl-WS) containing organic compounds (0.21 wt%) was found to produce similar results when compared …


Identification Of Early Opportunities For Simultaneous H2 Separation And Co2 Storage Using Depleted Coal Seams, Masoud Aslannezhad, Mohammad Sayyafzadeh, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz Feb 2024

Identification Of Early Opportunities For Simultaneous H2 Separation And Co2 Storage Using Depleted Coal Seams, Masoud Aslannezhad, Mohammad Sayyafzadeh, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydrogen (H2) production by steam methane reforming (SMR) is an economically viable technique on a commercial scale. However, this process produces large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), which eventually negates the benefits of employing H2 as an industrial input and clean energy carrier. This issue has led to increasing interest in capturing CO2 emissions from SMR to produce H2. This study proposes and investigates the use of coalbed methane (CBM) resources for separating the mixture of H2 and CO2 gases. The competitive adsorption mechanism in CBM not only can separate the H2 gas from the mixture but also results into …


Enhancing Wettability Prediction In The Presence Of Organics For Hydrogen Geo-Storage Through Data-Driven Machine Learning Modeling Of Rock/H2/Brine Systems, Zeeshan Tariq, Muhammad Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Auby Baban, Bicheng Yan, Shuyu Sun, Hussein Hoteit Dec 2023

Enhancing Wettability Prediction In The Presence Of Organics For Hydrogen Geo-Storage Through Data-Driven Machine Learning Modeling Of Rock/H2/Brine Systems, Zeeshan Tariq, Muhammad Ali, Nurudeen Yekeen, Auby Baban, Bicheng Yan, Shuyu Sun, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The success of geological H2 storage relies significantly on rock–H2–brine interactions and wettability. Experimentally assessing the H2 wettability of storage/caprocks as a function of thermos-physical conditions is arduous because of high H2 reactivity and embrittlement damages. Data-driven machine learning (ML) modeling predictions of rock–H2–brine wettability are less strenuous and more precise. They can be conducted at geo-storage conditions that are impossible or hazardous to attain in the laboratory. Thus, ML models were utilized in this research to accurately model the wettability behavior of a ternary system consisting of H2, rock minerals (quartz and mica), and brine at different operating geological …


Impact Of Methylene Blue On Enhancing The Hydrocarbon Potential Of Early Cambrian Khewra Sandstone Formation From The Potwar Basin, Pakistan, Muhammad Ali, Abdul M. Shar, Nurudeen Yekeen, Hussein Abid, Muhammad S. Kamal, Hussein Hoteit Dec 2023

Impact Of Methylene Blue On Enhancing The Hydrocarbon Potential Of Early Cambrian Khewra Sandstone Formation From The Potwar Basin, Pakistan, Muhammad Ali, Abdul M. Shar, Nurudeen Yekeen, Hussein Abid, Muhammad S. Kamal, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Significant amounts of hydrocarbon resources are left behind after primary and secondary recovery processes, necessitating the application of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques for improving the recovery of trapped oil from subsurface formations. In this respect, the wettability of the rock is crucial in assessing the recovery and sweep efficiency of trapped oil. The subsurface reservoirs are inherently contaminated with organic acids, which renders them hydrophobic. Recent research has revealed the significant impacts of nanofluids, surfactants, and methyl orange on altering the wettability of organic-acid-contaminated subsurface formations into the water-wet state. This suggests that the toxic dye methylene blue (MB), …


Capillary-Sealing Efficiency Of Mica-Proxy Caprock For Co2/H2 Geologic Storage In The Presence Of Organic Acids And Nanofluids, Amer Alanazi, Muhammad Ali, Mahmoud Mowafi, Saleh Bawazeer, Ziyad K K. Kaidar, Hussein Hoteit Dec 2023

Capillary-Sealing Efficiency Of Mica-Proxy Caprock For Co2/H2 Geologic Storage In The Presence Of Organic Acids And Nanofluids, Amer Alanazi, Muhammad Ali, Mahmoud Mowafi, Saleh Bawazeer, Ziyad K K. Kaidar, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Toward a diversified low-carbon future, the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) is regarded as a key enabler for an industrial-scale implementation. However, many geological formations, such as depleted oil and gas reservoirs, can contain inherent traces of organic molecules that dramatically affect their storage capacities and caprock sealing efficiency. Hence, using the right analysis to accurately determine the caprock sealing efficiency and storage capacity in the presence of organics is crucial for a secure and safe storage process. This study analyzed the sealing potential of a proxy caprock (mica) by calculating the capillary entry pressure and …


Effect Of Class C And Class F Fly Ash On Early-Age And Mature-Age Properties Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste, Sukanta K. Mondal, Carrie Clinton, Hongyan Ma, Aditya Kumar, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo Feb 2023

Effect Of Class C And Class F Fly Ash On Early-Age And Mature-Age Properties Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste, Sukanta K. Mondal, Carrie Clinton, Hongyan Ma, Aditya Kumar, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To Promote the Sustainable Development of Eco-Efficient Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA) Cements through the Partial Replacement of the CSA Clinker with Supplementary Cementitious Waste Products, the Effects of Coal Fly Ashes on the Early-Age and Mature-Age Properties of a Calcium Sulfoaluminate (CSA)-Based Cement Paste Were Investigated. the Impacts of Both Class C and Class F Fly Ashes on the Rheological Properties, Hydration Kinetics, and Compressive Strength Development of CSA Cement Paste Were Studied. Rheology-Based Workability Parameters, Representing the Rate of Loss of Flowability, the Rate of Hardening, and the Placement Limit, Were Characterized for the Pastes Prepared with Fixed Water-To-Cement (W/c) …


Direct Air Capture: Catalyzing A Carbon Negative Future, Tagg K. Lee Jan 2023

Direct Air Capture: Catalyzing A Carbon Negative Future, Tagg K. Lee

Civil and Environmental Engineering Publications

Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology has emerged as a promising means to address the escalating challenges of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and mitigate climate change. This paper provides an elementary overview of DAC, encompassing its underlying principles, technological advancements, and associated challenges. Point Source Carbon Capture is compared against Direct Air Capture with a solid or liquid sorbent, and physisorbents/chemisorbents are outlined. The past decade has seen a steep rise in the usage of chemical sorbents in particular, which are explored alongside their regeneration processes. This review provides an introductory explanation for the mechanisms of common DAC …


Point Density For Soil Specimen Volume Measurements In Image-Based Methods During Triaxial Testing, Sara Fayek, Xiong Zhang, Javad Galinmoghadam, Jeffrey D. Cawlfield Jan 2023

Point Density For Soil Specimen Volume Measurements In Image-Based Methods During Triaxial Testing, Sara Fayek, Xiong Zhang, Javad Galinmoghadam, Jeffrey D. Cawlfield

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Discrete Measurement Targets Were Frequently Utilized in Image-Based Methods on the Specimen's Surface to Monitor the Soil Specimen during Triaxial Testing. However, the Required Density of Measurement Targets that Should Be Used in Triaxial Testing to Achieve Highly Accurate Volume Measurement Has Not Been Investigated. to overcome This Limitation, This Paper Presents a Parametric Study to Determine the Optimum Target/point Densities to Be Utilized on the Triaxial Soil Specimen Surface to Achieve the Desired Level of Volume Measurement Accuracy in Image-Based Methods. LiDAR Scanning Was Applied to Establish the "Ground Truth" Volume of the Specimen. the Effects of Deformation and …


Measurement Of Volumetric Deformation, Strain Localization, And Shear Band Characterization During Triaxial Testing Using A Photogrammetry-Based Method, Sara Fayek, Xiong Zhang, Xiaolong Xia, Qingqing Fu, Jeffrey D. Cawlfield Jan 2023

Measurement Of Volumetric Deformation, Strain Localization, And Shear Band Characterization During Triaxial Testing Using A Photogrammetry-Based Method, Sara Fayek, Xiong Zhang, Xiaolong Xia, Qingqing Fu, Jeffrey D. Cawlfield

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Triaxial Testing Has Been Routinely Used as a Standard Laboratory Test that Allows Correct Determination of Soil Characteristics. Previously the Volumetric Strain of the Triaxial Specimen Was Considered to Be Uniformly Distributed Along with the Specimen during the Isotropic and Deviatoric Loading. Although This Assumption Might Hold True under Isotropic Loading, the Effects of Restrained Ends and Disturbance during the Procedures of Specimen Installation and Testing Can Cause Nonuniform Strains throughout the Whole Specimen. This Paper Investigates the Effects of Specimen Preparation and Misalignment on the Strain Uniformity Along with the Soil Specimen during Triaxial Testing. a Series of Consolidated …


Design Of Solvent-Assisted Plastics Recycling: Integrated Economics And Environmental Impacts Analysis, Austin L. Lehr, Kayla L. Heider, Emmanuel A. Aboagye, John D. Chea, Jake P. Stengel, Pahola Thathiana Benavides, Kirti M. Yenkie Sep 2022

Design Of Solvent-Assisted Plastics Recycling: Integrated Economics And Environmental Impacts Analysis, Austin L. Lehr, Kayla L. Heider, Emmanuel A. Aboagye, John D. Chea, Jake P. Stengel, Pahola Thathiana Benavides, Kirti M. Yenkie

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

In 2018, the United States generated over 35. 7 million tons of plastic waste, with only 8.4% being recycled and the other 91.6% incinerated or disposed of in a landfill. The continued growth of the polymer market has raised concerns over the end of life of plastics. Currently, the waste management system is faced with issues of inefficient sorting methods and low-efficiency recycling methods when it comes to plastics recycling. Mechanical recycling is the commonest recycling method but presents a lower-valued recycled material due to the material incompatibilities introduced via the inefficient sorting methods. Chemical recycling offers a promising alternative …


Quantifying The Workability Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste Using Time-Dependent Rheology, Sukanta K. Mondal, Adam Welz, Carrie Clinton, Kamal Khayat, Aditya Kumar, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo Aug 2022

Quantifying The Workability Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cement Paste Using Time-Dependent Rheology, Sukanta K. Mondal, Adam Welz, Carrie Clinton, Kamal Khayat, Aditya Kumar, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Poor workability is a common feature of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement paste. Multiple chemical admixtures, such as set retarders and dispersants, are frequently employed to improve the workability and delay the setting of CSA cement paste. A quantitative assessment of the compatibility, efficiency, and the effects of the admixtures on cement paste workability is critical for the design of an appropriate paste formulation and admixture proportioning. Very limited studies are available on the quantitative rheology-based method for evaluating the workability of calcium sulfoaluminate cement pastes. This study presents a novel and robust time-dependent rheological method for quantifying the workability of …


Hydration Of High-Alumina Calcium Aluminate Cements With Carbonate And Sulfate Additives, Jonathan Lapeyre, Sai Akshay Ponduru, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Hongyan Ma, Aditya Kumar May 2022

Hydration Of High-Alumina Calcium Aluminate Cements With Carbonate And Sulfate Additives, Jonathan Lapeyre, Sai Akshay Ponduru, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo, Hongyan Ma, Aditya Kumar

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study investigated the influence of limestone (LS) and calcium sulfate (C$) mineral additives on the hydration kinetics of high-α-Al2O3 calcium aluminate cement (CAC) utilizing experimental techniques and thermodynamic simulations. Increasing the replacement level of limestone or calcium sulfate increased the cumulative heat of the hydration reaction. The limestone exhibited limited acceleratory effects to the CAC hydration kinetics due to the coarseness of the powder. The coarse particle size distribution limited any heterogenous nucleation that would have occurred with a finer particle size as well as the intrinsic insolubility kinetically limits the formation of monocarboaluminate phases. Conversely, …


Feasibility Study Of Implementing Gamma-Ray Computed Tomography On Measuring Aggregate Distribution And Radiation Shielding Properties Of Concrete Samples, Omar Farid, Nima Farzadnia, Kamal Khayat, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan Apr 2022

Feasibility Study Of Implementing Gamma-Ray Computed Tomography On Measuring Aggregate Distribution And Radiation Shielding Properties Of Concrete Samples, Omar Farid, Nima Farzadnia, Kamal Khayat, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Aggregate segregation is one of the key defects that impair the performance of concrete at fresh and hardened stages. This study aims to assess the feasibility of using an advanced technique to identify/scan/determine the aggregate segregation of concrete elements and determine radiation shielding properties of the concrete. The gamma-ray computed tomography (γ-CT) technique was employed to study aggregate distribution/dispersion in self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Accordingly, two SCC mixtures with moderate segregation (MS) and high segregation (HS) levels were cast and compared with highly stable SCC with no segregation (NS). The γ-CT scans were located on three different levels of concrete specimens …


Effects Of Fiber Orientation On The Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion Of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems In Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing, José Luis Colón Quintana, Lucinda Slattery, Jon Pinkham, Joanna Keaton, Roberto A. Lopez-Anido, Keith Sharp Apr 2022

Effects Of Fiber Orientation On The Coefficient Of Thermal Expansion Of Fiber-Filled Polymer Systems In Large Format Polymer Extrusion-Based Additive Manufacturing, José Luis Colón Quintana, Lucinda Slattery, Jon Pinkham, Joanna Keaton, Roberto A. Lopez-Anido, Keith Sharp

Civil Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Large format polymer extrusion-based additive manufacturing has been studied recently due to its capacity for high throughput, customizable bead size and geometry, and ability to manufacture large parts. Samples from three fiber-filled amorphous thermoplastic materials 3D printed using a Masterprint 3X machine from Ingersoll Machine Tools were studied, along with their neat counterparts. Characterization techniques included thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA). TGA results showed that the fillers decreased the degradation temperature for most of the materials investigated, with a 30°C decrease for polycarbonate (PC) and a 12°C decrease for polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG). For …


Development & Validation Of A Piv System For Obtaining Data From A Uasb Reactor, Camila D' Bastiani, Gerald Gallagher, David Kennedy, Anthony Reynolds Apr 2022

Development & Validation Of A Piv System For Obtaining Data From A Uasb Reactor, Camila D' Bastiani, Gerald Gallagher, David Kennedy, Anthony Reynolds

Conference Papers

Anaerobic digestion processes can generate energy in the form of biogas while treating organic wastewater. The efficiency of the treatment, and thus the generation of biogas, is closely linked to the type and design of the reactor, and the technology used. Granular anaerobic digestion technology offers advantages such as a higher loading rate and reduction of the space needed. However, the hydrodynamics inside this type of reactor can be complex due to the presence of solids (granules) and gas (biogas) phases along with the liquid phase (wastewater). This is one of the reasons why the study and optimization of reactors …


The Greenest Solar Power? Life Cycle Assessment Of Foam-Based Flexible Floatovoltaics, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, Pierce Mayville, Joshua M. Pearce Mar 2022

The Greenest Solar Power? Life Cycle Assessment Of Foam-Based Flexible Floatovoltaics, Koami Soulemane Hayibo, Pierce Mayville, Joshua M. Pearce

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

This study presents a life cycle analysis (LCA) of a 10 MW foam-based floatovoltaics (FPV) plant installed on Lake Mead, Nevada, U.S. A material inventory of the flexible crystalline silicon (c-Si)-based module involved massing and determination of material composition of the module's encapsulation layers with ATR/FTR spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The LCA was performed using SimaPro and the results were interpreted in terms of cumulative energy demands, energy payback time, global warming potential, GHG emissions, and water footprint including negative values for reduced evaporation. A sensitivity analysis was performed on the lifetime of the modules and the foam-based racking. The …


Examining The Effect Of A Chitosan Biopolymer On Alkali-Activated Inorganic Material For Aqueous Pb(Ii) And Zn(Ii) Sorption, Sukanta K. Mondal, Chenglin Wu, Felix C. Nwadire, Ali A. Rownaghi, Aditya Kumar, Yusuf Adewuyi, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo Jan 2022

Examining The Effect Of A Chitosan Biopolymer On Alkali-Activated Inorganic Material For Aqueous Pb(Ii) And Zn(Ii) Sorption, Sukanta K. Mondal, Chenglin Wu, Felix C. Nwadire, Ali A. Rownaghi, Aditya Kumar, Yusuf Adewuyi, Monday Uchenna Okoronkwo

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Biopolymers and alkali-activated materials have attracted a great deal of attention as adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal contaminants from aqueous solutions. Both materials are sustainable and feature unique properties, but biopolymers are relatively more expensive or difficult to prepare and exhibit low mechanical and surface properties, a narrow pH range, and thermal stability. In this study, hybrid adsorbents were prepared from both types of material, by alkali activation of low-cost fly ash precursors accompanied by incorporation of 0-2%mass chitosan biopolymer. Two types of alkaline activating solutions, NaOH and Na2SiO3, were employed to generate two sets of hybrid adsorbents …


Recent Advancements In Electrochemical Conversion Of Carbon Dioxide, Nandan Nag, Amit Kumar, Sumit Sharma, Sandeep Kumar, Amit K. Thakur Jan 2022

Recent Advancements In Electrochemical Conversion Of Carbon Dioxide, Nandan Nag, Amit Kumar, Sumit Sharma, Sandeep Kumar, Amit K. Thakur

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide into eco-friendly and clean products is a promising approach to eradicate pollution. Although carbon dioxide emission is inhibited by the advent of renewable sources of energy, it is present in the atmosphere and needs to be cleaned. The reduction of carbon dioxide from atmospheric gases can be accomplished by its adsorption and subsequent transportation to electrolytic chambers, where it is reduced to hydrocarbons, organic acids or carbonates. This review focuses on developing a three compartment electrochemical cell to reduce carbon dioxide used as a catholyte. Various factors affecting the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide and …


Optimum Geological Storage Depths For Structural H2 Geo-Storage, Stefan Iglauer Jan 2022

Optimum Geological Storage Depths For Structural H2 Geo-Storage, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

H2 geo-storage has been suggested as a key technology with which large quantities of H2 can be stored and withdrawn again rapidly. One option which is currently explored is H2 storage in sedimentary geologic formations which are geographically widespread and potentially provide large storage space. The mechanism which keeps the buoyant H2 in the subsurface is structural trapping where a caprock prevents the H2 from rising by capillary forces. It is therefore important to assess how much H2 can be stored via structural trapping under given geo-thermal conditions. This structural trapping capacity is thus …


The Use Of Membranes And Membrane Bioreactors For Wastewater Treatment By: Yasmine Healey Submitted: December 4th 2021 Chemical Engineering, Yasmine Healey Dec 2021

The Use Of Membranes And Membrane Bioreactors For Wastewater Treatment By: Yasmine Healey Submitted: December 4th 2021 Chemical Engineering, Yasmine Healey

Featured Student Work

In the face of water shortages, population growth, and climate change, improvements in wastewater treatment operations and technology are necessary to reduce the over exploitation of freshwater resources around the world. Conventional wastewater treatment operations have succeeded in the past to treat industrial and municipal wastewater, however with increasing water demands and ever-changing environmental regulations, new and improved technology is necessary for a sustainable future. Membrane filtration and membrane bioreactors have increased in popularity as a new and improved method for wastewater treatment. Membrane bioreactors as well as various membrane filtration systems were studied in this report including their unit …


Hydrogen Underground Storage Efficiency In A Heterogeneous Sandstone Reservoir, Doaa Saleh Mahdi, Emad A. Al-Khdheeawi, Yujie Yuan, Yihuai Zhang, Stefan Iglauer Dec 2021

Hydrogen Underground Storage Efficiency In A Heterogeneous Sandstone Reservoir, Doaa Saleh Mahdi, Emad A. Al-Khdheeawi, Yujie Yuan, Yihuai Zhang, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Underground hydrogen storage has been recognized as a key technology for storing enormous amounts of hydrogen, thus aiding in the industrial-scale application of a hydrogen economy. However, underground hydrogen storage is only poorly understood, which leads to high project risk. This research thus examined the effect of caprock availability and hydrogen injection rate on hydrogen recovery factor and hydrogen leakage rate to address some fundamental questions related to underground hydrogen storage. A three dimensional heterogeneous reservoir model was developed, and the impact of caprock and hydrogen injected rate on hydrogen underground storage efficiency were analysed with the model. The results …


Microplastics Fouling And Interaction With Polymeric Membranes: A Review, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi H. Khiadani, Abdellah Shafieian, Tushar K. Sen, Y. Hartanto, M. L. Johns, Masoumeh Zargar Nov 2021

Microplastics Fouling And Interaction With Polymeric Membranes: A Review, Mitra Golgoli, Mehdi H. Khiadani, Abdellah Shafieian, Tushar K. Sen, Y. Hartanto, M. L. Johns, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The emergence and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in various aquatic environments have recently raised significant concerns. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have been identified as one of the major sources of MPs discharge to the environment, implying a substantial need to improve advanced techniques for more efficient removal of MPs. Polymeric membranes have been proven effective in MPs removal. However, fouling is the main drawback of membrane processes and MPs can foul the membranes due to their small size and specific surface properties. Hence, it is important to investigate the impacts of MPs on membrane fouling to develop efficient membrane-based techniques …


Metasurface Cloaks To Decouple Closely Spaced Printed Dipole Antenna Arrays Fed By A Microstrip-To-Balanced Transmission-Line Transition, Doojin Lee, Alexander B. Yakovlev Sep 2021

Metasurface Cloaks To Decouple Closely Spaced Printed Dipole Antenna Arrays Fed By A Microstrip-To-Balanced Transmission-Line Transition, Doojin Lee, Alexander B. Yakovlev

Faculty and Student Publications

In this work, we present a numerical study of 1D and 2D closely spaced antenna arrays of microstrip dipole antennas covered by a metasurface in order to properly cloak and decouple the antenna arrays operating at neighboring frequencies. We show that the two strongly coupled arrays fed by a microstrip-to-balanced transmission-line transition are effectively decoupled in 1D and 2D array scenarios by covering the dipole antenna elements with an elliptically shaped metasurface. The metasurface comprises sub-wavelength periodic metallic strips printed on an elliptically shaped dielectric cover around the dipole antennas and integrated with the substrate. We present a practical design …


Systematic Design, Optimization, And Sustainability Assessment For Generation Of Efficient Wastewater Treatment Networks, Kirti Maheshkumar Yenkie, Emmanuel A Aboagye, Sean M. Burnham, James Dailey, Rohan Zia, Carley Tran, Maya Desai May 2021

Systematic Design, Optimization, And Sustainability Assessment For Generation Of Efficient Wastewater Treatment Networks, Kirti Maheshkumar Yenkie, Emmanuel A Aboagye, Sean M. Burnham, James Dailey, Rohan Zia, Carley Tran, Maya Desai

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Due to population growth and economic development, there has been an increase in global wastewater (WW) generation footprint. There are different technologies associated with the wastewater treatment (WWT) process. The challenge is to select technologies that minimize the cost of treatment, as well as meet purity requirements. Further, there is a need to integrate sustainability analysis to facilitate a holistic decision. With the application of systems engineering, sustainable and cost-effective solutions can be achieved. In this work, we apply systems engineering to generate a sustainable and cost-effective solution. A superstructure was generated by categorizing technologies into four treatment stages. After …


Exploration Of The Sludge Biodiesel Pathway, Zachary Christman May 2021

Exploration Of The Sludge Biodiesel Pathway, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wastewater sludge is an overlooked source of fat, oil, and grease (FOG) that could be converted into biodiesel. The United States produces about 8 million tons of sludge per year. The disposal cost for this amount of sludge is about 2 billion US dollars. The widespread availability and low cost of sludge compared to other biodiesel raw materials make it an economical choice for a renewable fuel. Using sludge as a raw material can produce 25 to 30 mg per gram of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME); the main component of biodiesel. Sludge biodiesel has the potential of transforming a …


Household Income And Air Pollution At Public Schools In The United States, Katyland Facas, Kristina Wagstrom May 2021

Household Income And Air Pollution At Public Schools In The United States, Katyland Facas, Kristina Wagstrom

Honors Scholar Theses

Poor air quality at schools may negatively impact students’ academic performance.1 2 3 In this study we look at the relationship between ambient, outdoor air quality and student socioeconomic status at United States public schools. We used free and reduced lunch eligibility, as part of the USDA’s National School Lunch Program, as an indicator of household income. We focus on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns (PM2.5). We used ambient pollutant concentration estimates at census block group resolution (Kim et al.) as the outdoor air pollution concentration at each school.4 We found a positive …