Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Natural Gas Hydrate Production And Co2 Storage Via Clathrate Hydrates: Challenges And Opportunities, Abdirahman Hassan Mohamed, Aliyu Adebayo Sulaimon, Haylay Tsegab, Bhajan Lal, Stefan Iglauer, Muhammad Ali

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

One of the most demanding environmental and economic challenges of this era is that of supplying the increasing global energy demand while reducing and neutralizing the CO2 footprint. In this regard, the provision of a secure and diversified energy supply and the sequestration of CO2 into geological formations are currently of great significance. However, the buoyant nature of CO2 under the temperature and pressure conditions of typical geological sites leads to the risk of CO2 leakage, and thus necessitates long-term monitoring. Therefore, the hydrate-based sequestration of CO2 beneath oceanic sediments has become a desirable alternative to conventional geologic sequestration in …

Robust Hybrid Tree-Based Machine Learning-Assisted Optimization Of Well Parameters To Reduce Asphaltene Precipitation Risk In Oil Fields, Malek Jalilian, Madani, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Abbas Khaksar Manshad, Amir H. Mohammadi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Asphaltene precipitation is a persistent flow-assurance issue in carbonate oil wells, leading to increased intervention frequency and production losses. This study utilizes multi-decade surveillance and operational data from a mature carbonate field (1983–2023) to train and optimize five tree-based models: Decision Tree, Random Forest, Extra Trees, Gradient-Boosting Decision Tree, and CatBoost, employing a Tree-Structured Parzen Estimator. These models, constrained by operational parameters, were integrated to identify optimal settings that can minimize the frequency of asphaltene precipitation and the subsequent cleanups. The novelty of this research lies in the direct integration of interpretable tree ensembles with an optimizer that adheres to …

Characterization Of Droplet Size And Their Distribution Using Low Operating Conditions In A Rotary Bell Cup Spray-Field Via Shadowgraph, Murad Ali Channa, Mehdi Khiadani, Yasir M. Al-Abdeli

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study characterises droplet size and distribution across axial (x/D) and radial (r/D) locations in the spray field of a rotary bell-cup atomizer under low operating conditions. Shadowgraph was used to measure droplet size and distribution at 16 dimensionless locations in both directions. Two low rotational-speed ranges, 3–3.5 krpm (case I) and 8–8.5 krpm (case II), were achieved using shaping-air of 30–100 L/min under turning-air of 50 and 60 L/min, respectively, at a constant flow rate of 0.5 L/min. The Sauter mean droplet diameter ranged from ∼ 45–98 µm in case I and narrowed to ∼ 45–85 µm in case …

Cadmium Biosorption By Fusarium Venenatum And Its Application In Functional Permeable Materials For Metal Removal, Bradley Lawson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Heavy metals are pollutants of increasing concern as continued industrialization and urbanization have escalated the discharge of these toxins into aquatic environments. Cadmium (Cd) is a metal of particular concern due to its acute toxicity and high mobility in aquatic ecosystems. Given these characteristics Cd poses significant health risks to both humans and aquatic ecosystems. The continued development of sustainable, low-cost remediation technology is imperative to manage metal pollution.

This research explores the use of fungal-based remediation systems to remove Cd from contaminated water. Living biomass of the filamentous fungus Fusarium venenatum was evaluated as a biosorbent material for Cd …

Lithium Titanate-Functionalized Mixed Matrix Polymer Membrane For High-Performance Osmotic Energy Conversion, Rockson Kwesi Tonnah, Yasaman Boroumand, Milad Razbin, Mostafa Vahdani, Amir Razmjou, Mohsen Asadnia

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reverse electrodialysis (RED) offers a promising route to harvest osmotic energy from salinity gradients, yet practical implementation is hindered by the lack of scalable, high-performance ion-selective membranes that combine efficient ion transport with mechanical robustness and environmental sustainability. Here, we report a mixed matrix membrane composed of polyethersulfone (PES), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and lithium titanium oxide (Li₂TiO₃, LTO) that addresses these challenges through biomimetic ion transport channels. The strategic integration of LTO nanoparticles introduces ion-exchange sites and oxygen-rich PES ether linkages to create preferential cation transport pathways that mimic biological ion channels. This mixed matrix design delivers over three-fold cation conduction, …

Green Lithium Extraction From Alkaline Brines Using A Dibenzoylmethane Octanol System, Maryam Gonbadi, Shayan Abrishami, Ozra Gholipour, Ana Vafadar, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The escalating global demand for lithium necessitates the development of efficient, selective, and environmentally sustainable extraction technologies from brine resources. This study presents a novel solvent extraction system employing dibenzoylmethane (DBM) as a lithium-selective β-diketone chelating extractant and 1-octanol as a biodegradable diluent for lithium recovery from alkaline salt lake brines. The effects of critical process parameters, including aqueous phase pH, extractant concentration, and total dissolved solids (TDS), on lithium extraction efficiency and selectivity were systematically investigated. Under optimized conditions (pH 12, 0.3 M DBM in 1-octanol), the system achieved a single-stage lithium extraction efficiency of 80.8% with exceptional separation …

A Review Of Natural Hydrogen Generation From Iron-Rich Rocks: Mechanisms, Influencing Factors, Techniques, And Knowledge Gaps, Kaveh Moghanirahimi, Lionel Esteban, Marina Pervukhina, Muhammad Arif, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Natural hydrogen has emerged as a promising clean energy resource with significant potential for large-scale subsurface production. Among the various geological sources, water–rock interactions involving iron-bearing rocks are among the most extensively studied pathways for natural hydrogen generation. This study provides a comprehensive review of hydrogen production from iron-rich lithologies, including mafic and ultramafic rocks, iron oxides, iron carbonates, and peralkaline granites. The fundamental mechanism involves the reduction of water coupled with the oxidation of ferrous iron to ferric iron under anoxic conditions. Key processes, including serpentinization, magnetite alteration, and siderite decomposition, are critically evaluated using experimental and modelling data. …

Numerically Evaluating The Effect Of Pin Geometries On Interlayer Material Mixing And Thermo-Mechanical Characteristics During Additive Friction Stir Deposition (Afsd), Numan Habib, Ana Vafadar, Ferdinando Guzzomi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) is an additive manufacturing technique used to fabricate large-sized components layer-by-layer in a solid state, below the melting temperature. Poor interlayer mixing between subsequent layers results in a lack of mechanical interlocking, leading to low-strength components. The role of pin design plays a crucial role in fabricating high-strength components, requiring a comprehensive understanding of thermo-mechanical behaviour and flow pattern in the deposition zone. In this study, five different pin geometries are presented and investigated using a three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. A user-defined function (UDF) was used to calculate strain- and temperature-dependent viscosity. …

Rheology Modifiers For Water-Based Slurry Pipeline Transportation: Overview, Efficiency, And Intensification, Ahmed Alalou, Mohammed El Asri, Ahmed Boulahna, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Owing to their cost-efficiency and eco-friendliness, water-based slurry pipelines are the state-of-the-art technology for the transportation of several types of solids such as coal, fly ash, petcoke, iron ore, phosphate rock and other minerals. This review comprehensively examines the effect of numerous commercial dispersants and novel chemical additives that are used as rheology modifiers to enhance the slurryability and fluidity of solid-water slurries at high solids loading. Several key performance parameters such as the rheological characteristics (shear stress, apparent viscosity, yields stress, and flow behavior), the potential stability, surface tension and contact angle that highlight the efficiency of the rheology …

Graphene Oxide–Driven In Situ Bismuth Reduction Enables Highly Efficient Electroreduction Of Co2 To Formic Acid, Hao Feng, Bohong Zhang, Jie Huang, Xinhua Liang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To enable large scale efficient electrochemical CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR) to formic acid (HCOOH), it is important to develop catalysts that can be operated in a wide potential window with good stability. Herein, we successfully synthesized Bi₂O₃ catalyst supported on graphene oxide (GO) and graphene (G) and found that Bi₂O₃/GO catalyst had a better overall performance than Bi₂O₃/G. The Bi₂O₃/GO catalyst demonstrated an outstanding CO₂RR performance with a greater than 90% faradaic efficiency (FE) across a wide applied potential window …

Experimental Investigation Of Internal Flow Structures And Permeate Flux Behaviour In Direct Contact Membrane Distillation, Ali Kandi, Mehdi Khiadani, Yujie Yuan, Abdellah Shafieian

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Understanding internal hydrodynamics of Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) is crucial for desalination performance and mitigating temperature polarization. Despite its importance, quantitative experimental characterization of hydrodynamics governing boundary-layer development and transport enhancement within DCMD channels remains limited. This study presents the first spatially resolved Particle Image Velocimetry PIV measurement of velocity fields inside a smooth, actively operating flat-sheet DCMD channel, linking observed hydrodynamic structures to permeate flux. Two-dimensional velocity fields were captured at different streamwise positions for feed flow rates ranging from 0.7 to 4 L·min−1, enabling analysis of flow evolution and turbulence characteristics relevant to mass transfer. The results …

Waste Heat Driven Direct Contact Membrane Desalination Coupled With Reverse Brayton Cycle: Techno-Economic Analysis And Multi-Objective Optimization, Erfan Ghamati, Mehdi Khiadani, Barun K. Das

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research examines the integration of a reverse Brayton cycle (RBC) used in a hydrogen liquefaction plant with a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) system for waste heat recovery and freshwater production. Waste heat from RBC compressors is used to run the DCMD plant, with parametric analysis evaluating the effect of feed Reynolds number, permeate mass flow rate, module length and pinch temperature of heat exchangers on thermal and economic performance of the hybrid system. Both parallel and series multi-stage DCMD configurations are compared with higher feed and permeate flow rates enhancing the temperature polarisation coefficient and permeate flux. A …

Parametric Study On The Plastic Hinge Length Of Precast Concrete Columns With Grouted Sleeve Connections, Rizky Tri Amalia, Harun Alrasyid

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

The use of precast concrete structures with grouted sleeve (GS) connections has gained significant traction in the acceleration of bridge construction. The plastic hinge length (Lp) is a critical parameter for assessing the seismic performance and deformation capacity of such structural members. The previous study has proposed empirical equations for Lp in monolithic columns; however, a comprehensive understanding of the influential parameters on Lp in precast concrete columns with GS connections remains limited. This study presents a detailed parametric investigation to evaluate the effects of key design parameters on the plastic hinge length of a precast concrete columns with GS …

Recent Advances In Thermal Performance Improvement Of Parabolic Trough Solar Collectors Using Magnetic Nanofluids And Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Fluid, Taha Baig, Syeda Laraib Tariq, Furqan Jamil, Qamar Abbas, Hassan Bin Shahid, Hafiz Muhammad Ali

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Among various available types of sustainable energy sources, the role of solar energy is vital due to its safety and low cost. Multiple rigs have been designed to use solar energy to generate steam, where the parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) is a prominent example. Numerous numerical and experimental studies have been conducted to date to improve the thermal effectiveness of PTSCs. These studies include using hybrid nanofluids, insert types, magnetic nanofluids and supercritical carbon dioxide. The current paper provides a review of these studies, including an in-depth discussion section, an account of remaining challenges, and suggestions for future directions. …

Microbial Risk Assessment And Mitigation For Underground Hydrogen Energy Storage In Salt Caverns: A Multidisciplinary Investigation, Adnan Aftab, Silvia J. Salgar Chaparro, Muhammad Ali, Quan Xie, Ali Saeedi, Alireza Keshavarz, Mohammad Sarmadivaleh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) in salt caverns is a promising solution for large-scale renewable energy storage, but its long-term stability may be compromised by hydrogenotrophic microorganisms such as sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). This study integrates global salt basin analysis, numerical modelling, and laboratory experiments to assess microbial risks associated with the hydrogen storage. We evaluated salt deposits across six continents, reviewed microbial communities in seawater sources commonly used for the leaching, and simulated SRB behaviour under varying hydrogen concentrations. Experiments using both commercial SRB strains and indigenous consortia from Western Australia revealed minimal microbial activity under hypersaline, low-carbon conditions. These findings …

Engineered Porous Structures For Propellants Using Additive Manufacturing, Elbert Caravaca

Dissertations

Foamed polymers are widely used today for shock absorption and packaging materials to prevent damage to their contents. Typical foamed densities vary from 0.1 g/cm³ to 0.4 g/cm³ depending on the polymeric materials used. There is a need to explore foaming densities above 0.4 g/cm³ for propellants with highly engineered surface area progression for increased combustion performance. One way to achieve this is through highly controlled and engineered graded foam structures. To further exploit this approach, additive manufacturing coupled with a tunable means to generate foamed structures is the target of this work. To generate foam structures …

In Situ Electrochemical Characterization Techniques For Active Hydrogen In Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction To Ammonia, Hong-Mei Li, Mei Yi, Zhao-Yu Jin, Ming-Hao Xie, Khalid M. Omer, Yong Guo, Pan-Pan Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia (NitRR) represents a sustainable pathway that integrates environmental remediation with the production of high-value ammonia. However, the activity and selectivity of this process are limited by the generation, consumption, and dynamic equilibrium of the key transient intermediate—active hydrogen (*H). Precise modulation of *H necessitates a comprehensive understanding of its behavior, which relies fundamentally on advanced in situ electrochemical characterization techniques. However, a systematic review dedicated to the rational selection and application of in situ electrochemical techniques for the specific characterization of *H in NitRR, with clear definitions of each technique's "detectable targets, quantitative accuracy, and …

Microwave-Assisted Synthesis Of Core-Shell Structured Pd@Pdptcufe Recessed Truncated Octahedral Nanocrystals For Multifunctional Electrocatalysis, De-Zhong Hu, Wen-Dan Jiang, Wei Keat Ng, Jun Yang, Xiong-Wu Kang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Developing cost-efficient and durable multifunctional electrocatalysts of hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction is crucial for improving energy conversion efficiency in electrolytic water splitting electrolyzer and advancing rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Polyhedral shaped nanocrystals with well-defined crystal facets represent a type of model catalysts that enables the exploration of structure-activity relationships. However, it is still very challenging to prepare alloy nanocrystals with multiple metal components due to their complicated redox potentials and mixing enthalpy. Herein, we report a rapid microwave-assisted polyol reduction method for syntheses of core-shell Pd@PdPtCu, Pd@PdPtCuNi, Pd@PdPtCuCo and Pd@PdPtCuZn octahedral nanocrystals, and recessed truncated-octahedral …

Neural Network Driven By Electrochemical Performance Data For Predicting The Discharge Termination Time Of Seawater Electrolyte-Based Metal-Air Batteries, Peng-Peng Shen, Yi-Chi Pan, Yu-Rong Liu, Lu-Dan Zhang, Ning Niu, Guan-Jun Wang, De-Kun Yang, Xin-Long Tian, Peng Rao

Journal of Electrochemistry

Seawater electrolyte-based metal-air batteries exhibit great promise for marine energy supply systems. However, conventional statistical analysis methods, though applicable to seawater metal-air battery lifetime prediction, have inherent limitations of insufficient prediction accuracy and large error. Herein, a deep time-series regression framework based on InceptionTime and incorporating prior-biased attention pooling is proposed to construct a nonlinear mapping between electrochemical performance sequences and the discharge termination time of catalysts. Specifically, chronoamperometric profiles are employed to extract long-term stability features, while prior knowledge derived from linear sweep voltammetry is introduced to strengthen the attention weighting over critical potential regions. Under a nested leave-one-catalyst-out …

Probe Cytotoxic And Oxidative Stress Effects Of Nanoplastics On Caco-2 Cells: Insights From Raman Spectroscopy And Machine Learning, Bryan Gustafson, Negar Kosari, Emily Brothersen, Morgan Mosher, Anhong Zhou

Biological Engineering Student Research

Nanoplastics and microplastics have become an increasing ecological and health concern due to their widespread presence in the environment and food chain. In this study, Caco-2 cells were used as an in vitro model of the human intestinal epithelium to investigate the cytotoxic effects of polystyrene nanoparticles and microparticles of varying sizes, concentrations, and surface modification. Oxidative stress and apoptosis were evaluated following particle exposure. Raman spectroscopy, combined with machine learning analysis, was employed to detect and characterize biochemical alterations in the cells. Several peak ratios were selected to cluster data depending on size. A correlation between apoptosis and both …