Digital Commons Network^™

Drag Coefficient And Movement Phenomena Of Free-Rising Spherical Particles, Taige Cao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Light particles are commonly utilized as the solid phase in reverse fluidized bed reactors, especially for applications in wastewater treatment and other chemical or biochemical processes. This is primarily due to their favorable buoyancy characteristics and their ability to enhance mass transfer and mixing within the reactor. The drag coefficient related to the particle terminal velocity is one of the vital parameters for fluidized bed operation and design. However, traditional drag coefficient models are mostly based on heavy particle settling experiments. The few free-rising particle experiments have only justified the constant drag coefficient values in the high Reynolds number region, …

Development Of Dip-Coated Carbon Fibers For Structural Power Composites And Optimization Of Bus Plates For Passively Propagation Resistant Batteries, David Petrushenko

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing demand for lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, portable electronics, and electric aircraft is a driving force for the expansion in new battery architectures to achieve higher gravimetric and volumetric efficiencies. In practice, maximizing energy density can be achieved by introducing state-of-the-art materials to increase the capacity of cells or by reducing the system's mass by incorporating lightweight structural materials. An alternative approach is to develop systems capable of performing multiple functions simultaneously that combine mono-functions of the battery and vehicular structure in a multifunctional component capable of storing electrical energy and providing structural support.

The initial focus of this …

Engineering Electronic Properties Of Random Alloys For Catalytic Applications, Andrew N. Okafor

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Engineering catalytic materials is a key endeavor in the catalysis science to improve the catalytic activity of existing catalysts for specific applications and reduce the dependence on rare metals and minerals. While alloying, or mixing of metals, has been extensively studied, the focus has conventionally been placed on intermetallic phases or nanostructures such as core-shell particles, which are conceptually described by simple lattice models. This research focuses on understanding the catalytic properties of structurally ordered but compositionally disordered (or random) alloys, which have remained under-explored due to complexity at the atomic scale. Existing research focuses on synthesizing multicomponent alloys and …

Mathematical Modeling And Reconstruction Of Porous Media To Understand Transport Phenomena For Electrochemical System Applications, Mitchell Sepe

Theses and Dissertations

Alternative power generation has grown significantly in the space of energy production over the last ten years. Development of new technologies to produce energy is vital to the growing need for electricity. Batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and countless other renewable energy options have been deemed necessary to create an overall greener future. Fuels cells when combined with electrolyzer show a promising system for stationary power generation. Both technologies are comprised of multiple parts in contact that must work together simultaneously to create an ideal environment for catalytic reactions to take place. A crucial component to a properly functioning cell …

The Rise Of Bread: Leveraging Open-Source Process Control, Finn Keith Hafting

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Industrial pilot projects and the automation of experiments often rely on expensive and proprietary electronic hardware, known as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, to control and monitor areas of their processes. The Broadly Reconfigurable and Expandable Automation Device (BREAD) framework was created to address the need for inexpensive SCADA systems. New BREAD Slices were designed and compared to commercial heating, motor, pump, and pH controllers, exceeding all in functionality and cost. In each case, the decreased accuracy of the BREAD controller had little impact on the final products but greatly reduced the cost of the system. The modularity …

The Reversal Of Carbonate Wettability Via Alumina Nanofluids: Implications For Hydrogen Geological Storage, Amer Alanazi, Mujahid Ali, Muhammad Ali, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Underground hydrogen storage (UHS) has been recognized as a key enabler of the industrial-scale implementation of a hydrogen-based economy. However, the efficiency and storage capacity of hydrogen (H2) in carbonate aquifers can be influenced by the presence of organic acids. Nevertheless, the existing literature contains few investigations of H2/calcite/brine wettability and the influence of organic acids on H2 storability in carbonate reservoirs. Therefore, the present study examines the influence of stearic acid on the dynamic H2/brine wettability of calcite substrates (as a proxy of carbonate formation) under various geological conditions (0.1–20 MPa at 323 K), equilibrated in 10 wt% NaCl …

Extraction, Preparation, And Characterization Of Alginate Biopolymer Films From Natural Seaweed, David Ly

Master's Theses

This study evaluates the use of naturally harvested seaweed from the Monterey Bay to produce a biodegradable film for food packaging applications. Two different film-forming methods were evaluated: solution casting and compression molding. The solution casting method using an alginate biopolymer produced the most consistent results. The seaweed biopolymer was extracted from the seaweed biomass using a modified method, resulting in a yield of 11-25 %. The highest yield was observed when using the lowest biomass concentration of 10 wt. %. The extracted alginate was then cast into films at different levels of glycerol plasticization (15-35 wt.%). The addition of …

Innovative Techniques For Partially Upgrading Oil Sand Bitumen To Pipeline Transportable Crude, Moataz Abdrabou

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Optimizing the use of unconventional oil resources, like oil sand bitumen, is crucial for meeting the global energy demand in an environmentally sustainable and economically viable way. Unconventional oils, including extra-heavy oil and oil sand bitumen, make up over 55% of the world's oil reserves. Therefore, this research focuses on innovative partial upgrading techniques that significantly reduce bitumen’s viscosity and improve its quality for pipeline transportation and refining. The work presented in this thesis examines various potential routes for effectively partially upgrading bitumen through a series of experimental studies. The first investigation starts with using ionic surfactants to enhance the …

Green Synthesis Of Carbonized Chitosan-Fe3o4-Sio2 Nano-Composite For Adsorption Of Heavy Metals From Aqueous Solutions, Dalia A. Ali Eng, Rinad Galal Ali Eng.

Chemical Engineering

Water pollution with heavy metals owing to industrial and agricultural activities have become a critical dilemma to humans, plants as well as the marine environment. Therefore, it is of great importance that the carcinogenic heavy metals present in wastewater to be eliminated through designing treatment technologies that can remove multiple pollutants. A novel green magnetic nano-composite called (Carbonized Chitosan-Fe3O4-SiO2) was synthesized using Co-precipitation method to adsorb a mixture of heavy metal ions included; cobalt (Co2+), nickel (Ni2+) and copper (Cu2+) ions from aqueous solutions. The novelty of this study was the synthesis of a new

nano-composite which was green with …

Environmental Impacts Potential Of Natural Gas Production Through Life Cycle Assessment, Akmal Al Afghani, Mochamad Adhiraga Pratama, Astryd Viandila Dahlan

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a methodology used to evaluate potential environmental impacts in various industry sectors, including the oil and gas industry to quantify the environmental impacts and determine the processes that have significant impacts along their production cycle. This environmental impact study adheres to ISO 14040:2016 and 14044:2017 standards, using the ReCiPe methodology within a gate-to-gate scope to analyze potential environmental impacts of 1 MMSCFD natural gas production. The impact categories analyzed in this study are Global Warming Potential (GWP), Particulate Matter Formation (PM), Ozone Formation (OF), and Terrestrial Acidification (TA). The results of this study identified several …

Inspection Planning Of Subsea Pipeline Using Risk-Based Inspection, Ni Luh Triska Adelia, Badrul Munir, Johny Wahyuadi Soedarsono

Journal of Materials Exploration and Findings

Pipelines are an important tool in oil and gas exploration. Pipeline is a transmission and liquid collection lines, including their accessories, which transport fluids from one plant to another. In transmission and collection process, there is a possibility of failure which can have minor to major impact on personnel injury, the environment and interrupt the business process. To maintain safety and to prevent accidents, the source and cause of failure needs to be calculated. Risk-based inspection (RBI) is a method that can be used to calculate the risk and determine the inspection planning both schedule and method, by combining the …

Synthesis Of Uv-Blocking Titanium Oxide Films Via Remote-Type Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Cvd, Hayate Endo, Akira Shirakura, Shinya Kudo, Tetsuya Suzuki

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

This study aims to enhance UV resistance in plastics, focusing on polycarbonate (PC) and polypropylene (PP) commonly used in reuseable packaging. Traditional organic UV absorbers face safety and cost challenges, prompting our investigation into alternative methods. We utilized chemical vapor deposition (CVD), specifically Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Enhanced CVD (AP-PE-CVD), to apply titanium oxide (TiO₂) thin films. This innovative approach, using a remote-type AP-PE-CVD technique, enables coating on complex surfaces and 3D objects. The produced TiO2 films, containing over 20% titanium, showed a UV transmittance of 14.5% at 310 nm and effective UV blocking starting at 372 nm. The …

Tectonic Implications Of Seismic Anisotropy Layering Beneath The Southern Tibetan Plateau Revealed By Integrated Shear Wave Splitting And Receiver Function Analyses, Cong Shen, Stephen S. Gao, Fansheng Kong, Kelly H. Liu

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

To investigate continental dynamics underneath the south-central Tibetan plateau, which composes the Himalayan, Lhasa, and Qiangtang blocks, we have conducted comprehensive examinations of seismic azimuthal anisotropy in the crust using receiver functions (RFs) and crustal and mantle anisotropy using teleseismic shear wave splitting (SWS) analysis. In the Qiangtang block, the observed predominantly E-W fast orientations from RF and SWS analyses with similar magnitude are interpreted as resulting from eastward crustal flow with minor contributions from the mantle. In the Lhasa block, the crustal anisotropy is approximately N-S oriented, which is parallel to the strike of rift basins and southward crustal …

Determination Of Binary Co2/H2 Adsorption Isotherms And Kinetics Over Porous Organic Cage Cc3 Via Zero-Length Column Technique, Jimmy D.L. Moreno, Kyle Newport, Ali A. Rownaghi, Fateme Rezaei

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Understanding the dynamics of mixed-gas adsorption is essential for industrial-scale adsorptive separations. Also, obtaining binary adsorption isotherms is essential to gain a better understanding of adsorbate-adsorbent interactions in multicomponent gas mixtures. Porous organic cages (POCs) are highly porous, crystalline materials, with a small average pore window that make them promising candidates for separation applications. In this work, we utilized zero-length column (ZLC) technique to not only determine the kinetics of CO₂/H₂ separation over CC3 but also obtain the binary adsorption isotherms. The ultra crystalline diffusivities of 1.49 x 10^–4 and 8.31 x 10^–5 cm^{2 …}

Design And Development Of Uio-67-Coated Pim-1-Based Composites And Demonstration Of Their Detoxification Performance, Sukanta K. Mondal, Peter O. Aina, Ali A. Rownaghi, Fateme Rezaei

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Polymer-supported MOF composites have emerged as versatile candidates for various separation and catalytic applications. In this study, we demonstrate design and development of UiO-67-coated Ce(OH)₄@PIM-1 composites via dip-coating, drop-casting, solid-phase coating, and supramolecular assembly, and assess their preparation-structure-performance relations. The catalytic performance of the composites was investigated through hydrolysis of dimethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate (DMNP), as a nerve agent simulant. The findings revealed that while dip-coating method was unable to achieve a thick and uniform coverage of the MOF layer on the Ce(OH)₄@PIM-1, the supramolecular assembly gave rise to 16 wt.% MOF loading and the composite prepared …

Multiscale Modeling Of Morphology And Proton/Ion Transport In Electrolytes, Zhenghao Zhu

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding structure-function relationships in electrolytes is essential for advancing energy conversion and storage. This dissertation employs multiscale modeling and simulations to study the morphology and proton/ion transport in various electrolytes for electrochemical systems, including anion exchange membranes (AEMs), protic ionic liquids (PILs), pure phosphoric acid (PA) and aqueous acid solutions, ionic liquids (ILs), and polymerized ionic liquids (polyILs).

Mesoscale dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations were employed to study the hydrated morphology of polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-polystyrene (SEBS)-based AEMs. The results indicate that the choice of the functional group moderately affects the water distribution and has little influence on the …

Comparing Gas Composition From Fast Pyrolysis Of Live Foliage Measured In Bench-Scale And Fire-Scale Experiments, David R. Weise, Thomas H. Fletcher, Timothy J. Johnson, Wei Min Hao, Mark Dietenberger, Marko Princevac, Bret W. Butler, Sara S. Mcallister, Joseph J. O'Brien, E Louise Loudermilk, Roger D. Ottmar, Andrew T. Hudak, Akira Kato, Babak Shotorban, Shankar Mahalingham, Tanya L. Myers, Javier Palarea-Albaladejo, Stephen P. Baker

Faculty Publications

Background. Fire models have used pyrolysis data from oxidising and non-oxidising environments for flaming combustion. In wildland fires pyrolysis, flaming and smouldering combustion typically occur in an oxidising environment (the atmosphere). Aims. Using compositional data analysis methods, determine if the composition of pyrolysis gases measured in non-oxidising and ambient (oxidising) atmospheric conditions were similar. Methods. Permanent gases and tars were measured in a fuel-rich (non-oxidising) environment in a flat flame burner (FFB). Permanent and light hydrocarbon gases were measured for the same fuels heated by a fire flame in ambient atmospheric conditions (oxidising environment). Log-ratio balances of the measured gases …

Developing A Comprehensive Genome-Scale Metabolic Model For The Arabidopsis Thaliana Root System, Lohani Esterhuizen

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) is the most well-established model plant to date. Being the first plant to have its genome mapped, studies on Arabidopsis have provided insurmountable insights into the physiological and biochemical nature of plants. Methods that allow us to computationally study the metabolism of organisms include the use of genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs). Despite its popularity, no GEM currently maps the metabolic activity in the root system of Arabidopsis, which is the first organ to face and respond to stress conditions in the soil. This work aims to develop and implement a comprehensive GEM of the Arabidopsis root system …

Meteorological Data Mining And Synthesis For Supplementing On-Site Data For Regulatory Compliance, Ben Sonpon, Shoaib Usman, Joseph Smith, Sarah Kovaleski, Jason Wibbenmeyer

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Many regulatory requirements add significant delay in the licensing of new nuclear power stations. One area of particular interest is the environmental impact of potential atmospheric release. The purpose of this research is to demonstrate effectiveness of meteorological data mining and synthesis from offsite locations to reduce need for onsite data, hence allowing rapid licensing. The automated procedures tested for data mining and extraction of meteorological data from multiple offsite sources and the data analytic tool developed for data fusion are presented here. Three important meteorological parameters from regulatory compliance are considered for this analysis: wind velocity, wind direction, and …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Lignin–Pva Hydrogels With Tunable Network Structures, Keturah Bethel

All Dissertations

The ability to directly tune the crosslinked network structure of hydrogels is crucial for their functional applications in various fields, such as water filtration, protein separation, and tissue engineering. By controlling the crosslink density of the hydrogel, one can directly alter the mesh size – i.e., the end-to-end distance between crosslink junctions – and, subsequently, directly alter the hydrogel performance. This work discusses the fabrication and characterization of soft composites containing the biopolymer, lignin, are discussed. Precisely, physically-crosslinked composite lignin–Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels were fabricated via the freeze-thaw (F/T) pathway, whereby solutions containing specified amounts of PVA and lignin were …

Cruising Towards Durability: Investigating Degradation In Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (Pefcs) For Sustainable Vehicle Power, Preetam Sharma

Doctoral Dissertations

Energy production is central to the climate challenge, as a significant portion of greenhouse gases responsible for trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere arises from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and heat. To mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, emissions must be reduced by almost half by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) offer numerous advantages compared to traditional internal combustion engines in vehicles. Fuel cell electric vehicles are known for their exceptional operating efficiency (over 60%), impressive driving range (more than 400 miles), and quick refueling times (under 5 minutes).

Automotive …

Unrefined And Milled Ilmenite As A Cost-Effective Photocatalyst For Uv-Assisted Destruction And Mineralization Of Pfas, Eustace Y. Fernando, Zhiming Zhang

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are fluorinated and refractory pollutants that are ubiquitous in industrial wastewater. Photocatalytic destruction of such pollutants with catalysts such as TiO2 and ZnO is an attractive avenue for removal of PFAS, but refined forms of such photocatalysts are expensive. This study, for the first time, utilized milled unrefined raw mineral ilmenite, coupled to UV-C irradiation to achieve mineralization of the two model PFAS compounds perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluoro octane sulfonic acid (PFOS). Results obtained using a bench-scale photocatalytic reactor system demonstrated rapid removal kinetics of PFAS compounds (>90% removal in less than 10 …

Genetically-Encoded Optical Barcodes For Single-Cell Analysis, Daniel Pritko

All Theses

Cell barcodes are capable of being used to answer many different biological questions. They have been used to track the lineage of cells to identifying the function of a gene. While there are multiple different methods to creating cell barcodes, they are limited in their scalability and application. In a previous publication we propose and computationally prove an optical single-cell barcoding method that bridges fast and scalable readouts with the benefits of genetic encoding. In this approach fluorescent proteins (fps) are combined to form fluorescent barcodes that can then be analyzed using a spectral flow cytometer. Here, we test the …

Extraction Of Neutron-Gamma Irradiated Diffusion Pump Oils, Cooper L. Tillman

All Theses

This work successfully demonstrates solvent extraction methods for separation of oil from the by-products when two commercially available vacuum pump oils were exposed to an intense neutron and gamma-ray radiation environment. Nuclear fusion power at a commercial scale has accelerated the need for radiation resistant vacuum technology, such as oil-based diffusion pumps. Polyphenyl ether and aromatic silicone oils were irradiated at the Rhode Island Nuclear Science Center (RINSC) up to MGy absorbed doses with neutron and gamma-ray radiation. Solvent extractions were performed using hexane and isopropanol to characterize the oil extraction as a function of total absorbed dose. The by-products …

Recent Progress In Microencapsulation Technology And Its Applications In Petroleum Industry, Jingyi Zhu, Jiayu He, Jie Zhou, Zhaozhong Yang, Xiaogang Li, Ying Li, Zhenjiang You

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Oilfield chemicals play a pivotal role in optimizing the development of oil and gas resources. Emerging technologies for the controlled release of these chemicals have captured considerable interest among petroleum engineers. Microencapsulation, a method widely employed for controlled release in various industries such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture, is gaining traction in the realm of oil and gas exploitation. This paper provides a comprehensive review of encapsulation technologies, including solvent evaporation, coacervation, and polymerization methods. Special emphasis is placed on recent advancements in the applications of microcapsules within the oil and gas sector. Given the profound impact of release behavior …

Series Reports (1/4): Advancements In Electrochemical Energy Conversions At Prof Wei’S Group Of Chongqing University: High-Performance Oxygen Reduction Catalysts For Fuel Cells, Fa-Dong Chen, Zhuo-Yang Xie, Meng-Ting Li, Si-Guo Chen, Wei Ding, Li Li, Jing Li, Zi-Dong Wei

Journal of Electrochemistry

Two major challenges, high cost and short lifespan, have been hindering the commercialization process of low-temperature fuel cells. Professor Wei’s group has been focusing on decreasing cathode Pt loadings without losses of activity and durability, and their research advances in this area over the past three decades are briefly reviewed herein. Regarding the Pt-based catalysts and the low Pt usage, they have firstly tried to clarify the degradation mechanism of Pt/C catalysts, and then demonstrated that the activity and stability could be improved by three strategies: regulating the nanostructures of the active sites, enhancing the effects of support materials, and …

Professor Yong Yang, The Editorial Board Member Of Journal Of Electrochemistry, Is Elected As A Fellow Of The Electrochemical Society, Editorial Office Of J.Electrochem.

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.

First Announcement Of 76th Annual Meeting Of The International Society Of Electrochemistry, Editorial Office Of J.Electrochem.

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.

Sorbitol-Electrolyte-Additive Based Reversible Zinc Electrochemistry, Qiong Sun, Hai-Hui Du, Tian-Jiang Sun, Dian-Tao Li, Min Cheng, Jing Liang, Hai-Xia Li, Zhan-Liang Tao

Journal of Electrochemistry

The unstable zinc (Zn)/electrolyte interfaces formed by undesired dendrites and parasitic side reactions greatly hinder the development of aqueous zinc ion batteries. Herein, the hydroxy-rich sorbitol was used as an additive to reshape the solvation structure and modulate the interface chemistry. The strong interactions among sorbitol and both water molecules and Zn electrode can reduce the free water activity, optimize the solvation shell of water and Zn²⁺ ions, and regulate the formation of local water (H₂O)-poor environment on the surface of Zn electrode, which effectively inhibit the decomposition of water molecules, and thus, achieve the thermodynamically stable …

Kai Wu, The Editorial Board Member Of Journal Of Electrochemistry And Chief Scientist Of Catl, Receives The National Science And Technology Progress Award, Editorial Office Of J.Electrochem.

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.