Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Development And Validation Of A Kinetic Model For Enzymatic Hydrolysis Using Candida Rugosa Lipase, Ammar Jamie, Ali Alshami, Zuhair O. Maliabari, Muataz A. Ateih

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications

Biochemical processing involving enzymatic catalysis of hydrolysis reactions of oils and fats must overcome significant technological barriers before the full benefits of the technology can be realized. Owing to their selectivity and mild reaction conditions, lipases are becoming increasingly important as biocatalysts provided that their kinetics and optimum reaction conditions are well-understood. In this study we report on the development and validation of a kinetic model for the degradation of oils using Candida rugosa lipase, from which a better understanding of the influence of different reaction conditions on hydrolysis kinetics is elucidated. Variations of reaction temperature, mixing speed, enzyme loading …

Ior Methods In Unconventional Reservoirs Of North America: Comprehensive Review, Dheiaa Alfarge, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Unconventional resources have played a significant role in changing oil industry plans recently. Shale formations in North America have huge oil in place, 900 billion barrels of recoverable oil in Bakken only. However, the predicted primary recovery is still low as less than 10%. Therefore, seeking for improved oil techniques to increase oil recovery in these complex plays is inevitable. In this paper, three stages of review have been combined to find out the applicability of the most feasible IOR methods in these unconventional reservoirs. Firstly, the most common fluid and rock properties of these reservoirs have been investigated and …

Selection Criteria For Miscible-Gases To Enhance Oil Recovery In Unconventional Reservoirs Of North America, Dheiaa Alfarge, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai, Mortadha Alsaba

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Unconventional resources have played a significant role in changing oil industry plans recently. Shale formations in North America such as Bakken, Niobrara, and Eagle Ford have huge oil in place, 100-900 billion barrels of oil in Bakken only. However, the predicted primary recovery is still low as 5-10%. Therefore, seeking for techniques to enhance oil recovery in these complex plays is inevitable. In this paper, two different approaches have been integrated to investigate the feasibility of three different miscible gases which are CO₂, lean gases, and rich gases. Firstly, numerical simulation methods of compositional models have been incorporated …

Wellbore Stability Evaluation For Mishrif Formation, Ethar H.K. Alkamil, Husam R. Abbood, Ralph E. Flori, Andreas Eckert

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

During drilling operations for the E oilfield in the Mishrif formation in southern Iraq, stuck pipe has been identified as a significant geomechanical problem for several wells. In this study, a 1-D mechanical earth model (MEM) of the Mishrif formation is compiled based on its state of stress and rock strength parameters and is utilized to assess the contribution of borehole collapse leading to the stuck pipe problems. The MEM model is based on the principal in situ stresses and their orientation obtained from wireline logs measurements, measuring while drilling (MWD), and leak off test (LOT). Rock strength properties are …

Integrating Microgels And Low Salinity Waterflooding To Improve Conformance Control In Fractured Reservoirs, Ali Alhuraishawy, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai, Abdullah Almansour

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The recovery from fractured reservoirs is usually low. The areal heterogeneity is one result of the fractured reservoir. Low salinity waterflooding (LSWF) and preformed particle gel (PPG) have recently investigated by some researchers. The main objective of this study was to determine whether the combining technologies can improve conformance control in fractured sandstone reservoirs. Semi-transparent five-spot models made of sandstone cores and acrylic plates were built. The effect of low salinity waterflooding on oil recovery was studied. Models were designed with three parallel open fractures. Sodium chloride (1.0, 0.1, 0.01, and 0.001 wt. % NaCl) were used for brine flooding …

Effect Of Molecular-Diffusion Mechanisim On Co2 Huff-N-Puff Process In Shale-Oil Reservoirs, Dheiaa Alfarge, Mingzhen Wei, Baojun Bai, Abdullah Almansour

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Unconventional resources have played a significant role in changing oil industry plans recently. Shale formations in North America such as Bakken, Niobrara, and Eagle Ford have huge oil in place, 100-900 billion barrels of recoverable oil in Bakken only. However, the predicted primary recovery is still low as less than 10%. Therefore, seeking for techniques to increase oil recovery in these complex plays is inevitable. In this paper, three different approaches have been combined to investigate the effect of molecular-diffusion mechanism on CO₂ huff-n-puff process in Bakken formation. Firstly, comprehensive review has been conducted on the reported experimental studies …

Updated Criterion To Select Particle Size Distribution Of Lost Circulation Materials For An Effective Fracture Sealing, Mortadha Alsaba, Mohammed F. Al Dushaishi, Runar Nygaard, Olav Magnar Nes, Arild Saasen

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a new criterion to select particle size distribution (PSD) for an effective fracture sealing. The method was developed based on a comprehensive laboratory investigation that was conducted to determine the relationship between effectiveness of different lost circulation material (LCM) treatments in terms of the sealing efficiency and PSD. The results were compared with the current selection methods, which were developed to enhance the bridging capabilities for drill-in fluid, to investigate their applicability in designing effective treatments for fracture sealing. A statistical investigation was carried out to develop new criteria that suggest PSD based on the expected fracture …

Novel Environmentally Benign Hydrogel: Nano-Silica Hybrid Hydrolyzed Polyacrylamide/ Polyethyleneimine Gel System For Conformance Improvement In High Temperature High Salinity Reservoir, Liping Ma, Shitou Wang, Yifu Long, Changqian Zhu, Hongbin Yang, Tangying Yang, Xiaochun Liu, Xiaorong Li, Baojun Bai, Wanli Kang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In order to address the conformance problem in high temperature and high salinity/hardness reservoir, an environmentally benign in-situ gel was developed based on hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) and polyethyleneimine (PEI). Moreover, silica nanoparticle (SNP) was embedded to improve the performance of HPAM/PEI gel. To achieve the optimum formulation of HPAM/PEI-SNP gel, a comprehensive investigation was first conducted with the respect of gelation time, gel strength, and thermal stability. In addition, the particle size of SNP was determined by Dynamic Light Scatter (DLS) and the microstructure of HPAM/ PEI-SNP gel was characterized via Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The optimum formulation, containing the …

Bulletproof Vests/Shields Prepared From Composite Material Based On Strong Polyamide Fibers And Epoxy Resin, Remon A. Mankarious, Mostafa A. Radwan, Mostafa Shazly, Hany A. Elazab

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP) have arisen as a main class of tactual materials having high strength and light weight implemented in a large scale of different applications. This study performs a comparison between the enhanced propidines of Kevlar 49 fiber and Twaron CT 704 reinforced with epoxy resin to obtain an efficient, light weight and slim body m o r capable of resisting high speed projectiles (9 mm bullets). Reinforcing the fabrics adds extra strength to the fabrics instead of using several unreinforced fabrics which increases the weight thickness and the cost of the final product. The response of the …

Mechanical Characteristics For Different Composite Materials Based On Commercial Epoxy Resins And Different Fillers, Marwa Mhamed Naeem, Mostafa A. Radwan, Mohamed A. Sadek, Hany Sa. Elazab

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this research, different compositions of composite materials based on epoxy resin and four different fillers were prepared and all mechanical characteristics were investigated to reach a composite material having high resistance to impact by high kinetics energy projectiles which is required in the production of bulletproof jackets and also in cassette shields of explosive reactive armors to protect tanks. This composite material is usually applied as layers with other polymeric fibers such as carbon fibers and Kevlar (polyamide) sheets. The used epoxy consists of Epon as linear epoxy and tertiary amine as hardener. The used fillers are carbon black, …

The Effect Of Different Insertion Techniques On The Depth Of Cure And Vickers Surface Micro-Hardness Of Two Bulk-Fill Resin Composite Materials, Lamiaa Mahmoud Moharam, Ahmed Zohair El-Hoshy, Karim Abou-Elenein

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the Vickers surface micro-hardness and the depth of cure of two bulk-fill resin composites and one incremental-fill resin composite. Material and Methods: Two Bulk-fill dental resin composites (X-tra Fil, Voco; Sonic-FillTM 2, Kerr Corporation) and an incremental-fill dental resin composite (Filtek™ Z250 XT, 3M ESPE) were used. Sixty cylindrical specimens of 4 mm thickness were prepared using split Teflon molds. Specimens were divided into six groups (n=10) according to the type of the material used and according to the insertion technique applied (bulk or incremental). Prepared specimens were stored dry in …

Boosting The Electrochemical Performance Of Li₁.₂Mn₀.₅₄Ni₀.₁₃Co₀.₁₃O₂ By Atomic Layer-Deposited Ceo₂ Coating, Yan Gao, Rajankumar L. Patel, Kuan-Yu Shen, Xiaofeng Wang, Richard L. Axelbaum, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

It has been demonstrated that atomic layer deposition (ALD) provides an initially safeguarding, uniform ultrathin film of controllable thickness for lithium-ion battery electrodes. In this work, CeO₂ thin films were deposited to modify the surface of lithium-rich Li_1.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13O₂ (LRNMC) particles via ALD. The film thicknesses were measured by transmission electron microscopy. For electrochemical performance, ∼2.5 nm CeO₂ film, deposited by 50 ALD cycles (50Ce), was found to have the optimal thickness. At a 1 C rate and 55°C in a voltage range of 2.0-4.8 V, an initial capacity of …

Ultrathin Conductive Ceo₂ Coating For Significant Improvement In Electrochemical Performance Of Limn₁.₅Ni₀.₅O₄ Cathode Materials, Rajankumar L. Patel, Sai Abhishek Palaparty, Xinhua Liang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

LiMn_1.5Ni_0.5O₄ (LMNO) has a huge potential for use as a cathode material in electric vehicular applications. However, it could face discharge capacity degradation with cycling at elevated temperatures due to attacks by hydrofluoric acid (HF) from the electrolyte, which could cause cationic dissolution. To overcome this barrier, we coated 3-5 micron sized LMNO particles with a ∼3 nm optimally thick and conductive CeO₂ film prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD). This provided optimal thickness for mass transfer resistance, species protection, and mitigation of cationic dissolution at elevated temperatures. After 1,000 cycles of chargedischarge between …

Data Analysis And Application Guidelines Of Particle Gel Treatments, Yue Qiu

Doctoral Dissertations

“Water production is a severe worldwide issue in mature oilfields, which results in shortening the economic life of oil and gas wells. Particle gel have been widely applied in mature oilfields to improve reservoir sweep efficiency and control water production. To date, more than 10,000 injection wells were successfully treated by particle gels. However, considerable uncertainty still exists regarding to where and how particle gel treatments can be best applied.

The main objective of this study is to provide application guidelines and prediction model for particle gel treatments through data analysis. In this study, four particle gel treatment datasets have …

Investigation Of Hydraulic Fracture Complexity And The Benefits Of Maximizing Or Minimizing Complexity In Unconventional Resources, Rashid Sheikh Kassim

Doctoral Dissertations

"This dissertation discusses two separate, yet inter-related studies. The first study was an extension of historical work comparing transversely fractured versus longitudinally fractured horizontal wells in multiphase flow environment. The second study investigated hydraulic fracture complexities and the benefits of maximizing or minimizing complexities in unconventional resources and tight reservoirs.

The main objective of this research was to investigate fracture complexity and its impact on well performance and economics. To achieve that objective, three different integrated completions and reservoir models were built. Two of the three models, a hybrid reservoir model and micro-seismic based SRV (stimulated reservoir volume) model, were …

Engineering Advanced Adsorbent Materials For Co₂ Capture Applications, Harshul Thakkar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Global climate change due to the increasing CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is primarily associated with anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. CO₂ capture technologies using adsorbents have not been implemented commercially due to lack of scalable, practical and cost-effective strategies and are still under development. Moreover, the use of conventional configurations such as pellets and beads for the removal of CO₂ from enclosed environments have been shown to impose limitations to the removal efficiency and system performance. In this dissertation, engineering of advanced and efficient structured adsorbents for practical and scalable CO₂ capture technologies and their use …

Improving Performance Of Au/Ts-1 Catalyst For Propylene Epoxidation, Jacob Kunisch, Zheng Lu

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Purification Of Human Hematopoietic Prostaglandin D-Synthase, Katherine Peffen

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Heat Transfer Analysis In A Paddle Reactor For Biomass Fast Pyrolyis, Ankith Ullal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Heat transfer analysis was performed on a novel auger reactor for biomass fast pyrolysis. As part of this analysis, correlations for specific heat capacity and heat transfer coefficients for biomass (sawdust) and sand (used as heat transfer medium) were developed. For sand, the heat transfer coefficient followed a power law distribution with reactor fill level and temperature. For raw biomass, the heat transfer coefficient also showed similar dependence on fill level, but was independent of temperature up to 300°C. These correlations were used in a one dimensional heat transfer model developed to calculate the heating time and heating rate of …

Dynamic Model And Estimator Development For A Smart Refractory Brick With Embedded Wireless Sensors For Gasifier Applications, Qiao Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The operating temperature is one of the most important variables for gasifier operation. A higher temperature can shorten the service life of the refractory lining. A lower temperature can reduce the extent of carbon conversion and disrupt the flow of molten slag in a slagging gasifier. Therefore temperature is one of the most important variable in a gasifier. In slagging gasifiers, molten slag can penetrate into the refractory lining leading to refractory spallation, undesired downtime, and costly replacement. Even though the temperature and extent of slag penetration are extremely important for the gasifier operation, they cannot be measured reliably by …