Engineering Commons^™

Scale Modeling Of An Appearance Of Downwash Pattern Of Hot Smoke Ejected From Chimney In The Turbulent Cross Flow, Xangpheuak Inthavideth, Nobumasa Sekishita, Sounthisack Phommachanh, Yuji Nakamura

Progress in Scale Modeling, an International Journal

This study aims to elucidate the scaling law to provide the critical condition on appearance of the downwash pattern of the hot smoke ejected from a chimney in a turbulent cross flow. A specially designed wind tunnel with an active turbulence generator developed by Makita was adopted to offer a quasi-isotropic turbulence field in a lab-scale test facility. A heated jet with smoke is issued into the cross flow from the vertically oriented chimney placed in the test section of the wind tunnel. In this study, the experimental parameters considered are temperature of the heated jet (smoke), jet ejected velocity, …

Exploring The Biomedical Applications Of Polyurethane-Based Foams, Films, And Hydrogels, Anand Utpal Vakil

Dissertations - ALL

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are a class of smart materials that can be temporarily stored in a deformed shape and can actively recover their original shape upon exposure to an external stimulus, such as heat, magnetic field, moisture, pH, light, or electric field. The ability of SMPs to change shape when required can be used for a wide range of applications, especially in the case of minimally invasive biomedical applications. In this work, polyurethane-based SMPs were explored for their use in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing applications.

In the second chapter, low density porous foams with tunable degradability …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanocomposites For Environmental Remediation, Nethaji S

Technical Collection

My current work deals with the preparation and characterization of nanocomposites for effluent treatment applications. The expertise lies on the preparation of carbonaceous nanocomposites including graphitic materials. The prepared materials are characterized thoroughly by different methods like FE-SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, VSM, surface area and porosity. The composite materials are used for the removal of conventional and emerging contaminants like antibiotics, pesticide residues, endocrine disruptors etc. In addition to the batch studies, fabrication of microcolumns to aid the scale-up of the process is also carried out. I have published 14 research publications with around 1000 citations and h-index of 11. …

Wetting Of Paper Towels: A Method To Determine The Two-Dimensional Absorption Capacity, Hossein Abedsoltan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study proposes a method to determine the two-dimensional absorption capacity of paper towels. Individual plies were tested to minimize the effects of transverse wicking on wetting. The method involves arbitrary point source injection of liquid into the towel surface while recording microscopic images of the wetted areas. The samples were selected from the main manufacturing processes: conventional wet pressing and through-air drying. Wetting graphs that illustrate the dynamic and static wetting behaviors were generated. The driving force was found to have a negligible effect on the maximum wetted area. The maximum wetted area and the paper grammage were used …

Synthesis Of A Phosphorus-Based Epoxy Reactive Flame Retardant Analog To Diglycidyl Ether Of Bisphenol A (Dgeba) And Its Behavior As A Matrix In A Carbon Fiber Composite, Mustafa Mukhtar

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper describes the synthesis of a phosphorus-based flame retardant that is a chemical analog of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), as well as its incorporation as a matrix into carbon fiber laminates. Carbon fiber composites, if used for structural applications in mass transport vehicles (aircraft, trains), will require some aspects of improved fire performance to be used safely in those applications. The first phase of work involved the development of two separate synthesis routes to produce the flame retardant monomer, referred to as Phosphorus-DGEBA or simply P-DGEBA. The second step was to determine the viability of the compound's …

Bio-Oil Production From Hydrothermal Liquefaction Of Pennisetum Purpureum X Pennisetum Typhoideum, Tossapon Katongtung, Sanphawat Phtomphithak, Thossaporn Onsree, Nakorn Tippayawong, Jochen A. Lauterbach

Faculty Publications

Among renewable and sustainable energy resources, biomass plays a vital role. Agricultural residues/wastes, energy crops, and lignocellulosic biomass could potentially be major feedstocks for biorefineries. In Thailand, one of the most interesting energy crops is hybrid giant Juncao grass (GJG) or Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum typhoideum. GJG can be easily grown and has relatively high yields under tropical climates. Herein, conversion of GJG to biofuels via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) was investigated using batch reactors under varying reaction temperatures of 250–350 ◦C and biomass-to-deionized water concentrations of 15–25 wt% at a fixed residence time of 30 min. Changes in temperature and …

Evaluation Of Cubic, Pc-Saft, And Gerg2008 Equations Of State For Accurate Calculations Of Thermophysical Properties Of Hydrogen-Blend Mixtures, Amer Alanazi, Muhammad Ali, Saleh Bawazeer, Nurudeen Yekeen, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydrogen (H₂) is a clean fuel and key enabler of energy transition into green renewable sources and a method of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Underground H₂ storage (UHS) is a prominent method offering a permanent solution for a low-carbon economy to meet the global energy demand. However, UHS is a complex procedure where containment security, pore-scale scattering, and large-scale storage capacity can be influenced by H₂ contamination due to mixing with cushion gases and reservoir fluids. The literature lacks comprehensive investigations of existing thermodynamic models in calculating the accurate transport properties of H₂-blend …

Mechanism Understanding Of Li-Ion Separation Using A Perovskite-Based Membrane, Mahsa Golmohammadi, Meysam Habibi, Sima Rezvantalab, Yasin Mehdizadeh Chellehbari, Reza Maleki, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Lithium ions play a crucial role in the energy storage industry. Finding suitable lithium-ion-conductive membranes is one of the important issues of energy storage studies. Hence, a perovskite-based membrane, Lithium Lanthanum Titanate (LLTO), was innovatively implemented in the presence and absence of solvents to precisely understand the mechanism of lithium ion separation. The ion-selective membrane’s mechanism and the perovskite-based membrane’s efficiency were investigated using Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulation. The results specified that the change in the ambient condition, pH, and temperature led to a shift in LLTO pore sizes. Based on the results, pH plays an undeniable role in facilitating …

Techno-Economic Sensitivity Analysis For Combined Design And Operation Of A Small Modular Reactor Hybrid Energy System, Daniel Hill, Adam Martin, Nathanael Martin-Nelson, Charles Granger, Kody Powell, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

With increasing grid-penetration of renewable energy resources and a rising need for carbon-free dispatchable power generation, nuclear-hybrid energy systems (NHES), consisting of small modular reactors, are an increasingly attractive option for maintaining grid stability. NHES can accomplish this with a minimal carbon footprint but there are significant uncertainties that are not fully understood. This work describes and demonstrates methods for analyzing the uncertainties of potential NHES designs, including uncertain design parameters and time series as well as variations in dispatch horizon length. The proposed methods are demonstrated on a sample system with 16 design parameters, 3 uncertain time series, and …

Correlating The Macrostructural Variations Of An Ion Gel With Its Carbon Dioxide Sorption Capacity, Tung Nguyen,, Mona Bavarian, Siamak Nejati

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

We report on a direct correlation between the macroscale structural variations and the gas sorption capacities of an ion gel. Here, we chose 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide ([Emim][TF₂N]) and poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) as the ionic liquid and host polymer, respectively. The CO₂ sorption in the thin films of the IL-polymer was measured using the gravimetric method. The results of our experiment showed that the trend in CO₂ uptake of these mixtures was nonlinearly correlated with the content of IL. Here, we highlight that the variations in the molecular structure of the polymers were the main reason behind …

Pretreatment Of Corncob With Green Deep Eutectic Solvent To Enhance Cellulose Accessibility For Energy And Fuel Applications, Sanphawat Phromphithak, Nakorn Tippayawong, Thossaporn Onsree, Jochen A. Lauterbach

Faculty Publications

Fossil fuels are the primary source of energy for a long period in spite of excessive environmental hazards, such as greenhouse gas emissions. Production of energy and fuel from lignocellulosic biomass has been the goal of the study in pursuit of renewable alternatives to fossil materials. Corncob is common agricultural biomass waste found in many countries. It can be utilized to produce bioenergy, but the conversion efficiency is limited. Pretreatment may be applied to improve the efficiency of corncob conversion; for example, by the fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass. Choline chloride (ChCl) and glycerol are considered as synthetic deep eutectic solvents …

A Review On N-Doped Biochar For Oxidative Degradation Of Organic Contaminants In Wastewater By Persulfate Activation, Yaxuan Gao, Wenran Gao, Haonan Zhu, Haoran Chen, Shanshan Yan, Ming Zhao, Hongqi Sun, Junjie Zhang, Shu Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Persulfate-based advanced oxidation process is the most efficient and commonly used technology to remove organic contaminants in wastewater. Due to the large surface area, unique electronic properties, abundant N functional groups, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness, N-doped biochars (NBCs) are widely used as catalysts for persulfate activation. This review focuses on the NBC for oxidative degradation of organics-contaminated wastewater. Firstly, the preparation and modification methods of NBCs were reviewed. Then the catalytic performance of NBCs and modified NBCs on the oxidation degradation of organic contaminants were discussed with an emphasis on the degradation mechanism. We further summarized the detection technologies …

Associations Between Prenatal Exposure To Phthalates And Features Of The Metabolic Syndrome In Males From Childhood Into Adulthood, Ye’Elah E. Berman, Dorota A. Doherty, Trevor A. Mori, Lawrence J. Beilin, Oyekoya T. Ayonrinde, Leon A. Adams, Rae-Chi Huang, John K. Olynyk, Jeffrey A. Keelan, John P. Newnham, Roger J. Hart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Phthalate metabolites are detectable within the majority of the population. Evidence suggests that a prenatal exposure to phthalates may be associated with the subsequent risks of obesity and elevated blood pressure. We hypothesised that a prenatal exposure to phthalates would lead to an increase in adverse cardiometabolic parameters through childhood and adulthood. The maternal serum phthalate measurements from the stored samples taken from Gen1 mothers at 18 and 34 weeks gestation were examined in relation to the cardiometabolic measures in 387 male offspring from the Raine Study. Data from the Gen2 follow-ups between 3 and 27 years were used. The …

Preparation Of N-, O-, And S-Tri-Doped Biochar Through One-Pot Pyrolysis Of Poplar And Urea Formaldehyde And Its Enhanced Removal Of Tetracycline From Wastewater, Wenran Gao, Zixiang Lin, Shanshan Yan, Yaxuan Gao, Hong Zhang, Xun Hu, Hongqi Sun, Shu Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this study, biochar was prepared via hybrid doping of N, O, and S by applying one-pot pyrolysis of poplar wood and S-containing urea formaldehyde at 900 °C. Different doping ratios were adopted, and the contents of O, N, and S were in the ranges of 2.78 – 5.56 %, 2.16 – 4.92 %, and 1.42 – 4.98 %, respectively. This hybrid doping significantly enhanced the efficiency of the removal of tetracycline (40 mg/L) from wastewater to 71.84 % in comparison with that attained by using normal poplar biochar (29.45 %). The adsorption kinetics and isotherms indicated that the adsorption …

Utilizing Date Pits In Microencapsulation: Effect Of Different Variations On Probiotic Survivability Under In Vitro Digestion, Asmaa Samir Al Hamayda

Theses

This work deals with the medicinal use of date pit powder, which turns it from a waste product to a useful stabilizer for the release of beneficial probiotics in the human intestine. The main objective of this work is to encapsulate probiotics with date pit beads and their subsequent release in the human intestine. The beads were formed using gravitational dripping technique, while INFOGEST protocol was used to test the digested beads and the release of viable probiotic cells. For the three date varieties Raziz, Naghal and Khadrawy, it was found that 0.1 g of date pit powder per 0.2 …

Biodegradable Heat Insulation Composites Based On Poly(Β-Hydroxybutyrate) And Date Palm Wood, Amal Ibrahim Mlhem

Theses

Residential buildings contribute the most to energy consumption. It was found that energy savings of 20% can be achieved through the thermal insulation of residential buildings in the United Arab Emirates. For this reason, research has been conducted in the field of sustainable thermal insulation materials. Wood-Plastic Composites (WPC) are a relatively new generation of biocomposites and are particularly suitable for construction and building applications, which offers high thermal and acoustic insulation properties., reducing carbon emissions and decreasing negative impacts on the environment due to their biodegradability, sustainability, renewability, and recyclability. The first part of this study investigated the thermal …

Comparison Of Two Capital Cost Assessment Methods For A Styrene Process Design, Marian K. Luzier

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Fabrication Of Thin-Film Composite, Reverse-Osmosis Membranes With Polyethylenimine Modifications For Enhancing Membrane Fouling Resistance, Stephanie N. Hamilton

Master's Theses

Increasing water reuse opportunities for communities has become increasingly important as access to clean water is becoming more scarce. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is an advanced treatment technology used in water recycling wastewater for potable reuse applications. RO is a promising technology; however, the membranes have limitations including their high energy demand and their susceptibility to membrane fouling. The main objective of this study was to develop a reproducible method for the fabrication of RO membranes with enhanced flux and reduced susceptibility to fouling. Literature contains numerous publications on fabrication of thin film composite (TFC) RO membranes with high performance. However, …

Phase Transitions And Photoluminescent Properties Of Anion-Engineered Y2o3, Maharram Jabrayilov

LSU Master's Theses

Rare earth doped metal oxides are widely employed as phosphor materials for white light LEDs (w-LEDs). The aim of this work is to engineer anionic sites of metal oxides, specifically, Y₂O₃, to investigate structural and luminescent properties relationships and energy transfer mechanisms between rare earth sensitizer and activator ions in different hosts.

A low temperature two-step hydrothermal/combustion method was employed to incorporate sulfate ions into Y₂O₃. Furthermore, annealing at 600 °C under H₂/N₂ was employed to convert Y₂O₂SO₄ to Y₂O₂S. …

Application Of The Core Shell Model For Strengthening Polymer Filament Interfaces, Yu-Chung Lin, Aniket Raut, Yiwei Fang, Yifan Yin, David Sprouster, Tai-De Li, Guillaume Freychet, Mikhail Zhernenkov, Steve Nitodas, Jonathan Sokolov, Yuval Shmueli, Miriam Rafailovich

Advanced Science Research Center

While surface segregation has been intensively studied in thin films, relatively little has been investigated in filament geometries. In contrast to thin films, the filament surface forms a continuum, with interactions both at the free air and internal filament interface, which makes it difficult to achieve an equilibrium configuration. This asymmetry has become particularly apparent with the increasing use of additive manufacturing where entire structures are constructed via layered deposition of filamentous layers from a moving thermal nozzle. In addition, this process is highly non-equilibrated with poor thermal retention and is responsible for insufficient filament–filament interfacial fusion and internal pore …

Electrochemical Syntheses Of Nanomaterials And Small Molecules For Electrolytic Hydrogen Production, Jia-Qi Wei, Xiao-Dong Chen, Shu-Zhou Li

Journal of Electrochemistry

Hydrogen is a clean, efficient, renewable energy resource and the most promising alternative to fossil fuels for future carbon-neutral energy supply. Therefore, sustainable hydrogen production is highly attractive and urgently demanded, especially via water electrolysis that has clean, abundant precursors and zero emission. However, current water electrolysis is hindered by the sluggish kinetics and low cost/energy efficiency of both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this regard, electrochemical synthesis offers prospects to raise the efficiency and benefit of water electrolysis by fabricating advanced electrocatalysts and providing more efficient/value-adding co-electrolysis alternatives. It is an eco-friendly and facile …

Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis At Industrial Level:Recent Progress And Perspective, Tao Zhang, Yi-Pu Liu, Qi-Tong Ye, Hong-Jin Fan

Journal of Electrochemistry

Industrial hydrogen generation through water splitting, powered by renewable energy such as solar, wind and marine, paves a potential way for energy and environment sustainability. However, state-of-the-art electrolysis using high purity water as hydrogen source at an industrial level would bring about crisis of freshwater resource. Seawater splitting provides a practical path to solve potable water shortage, but still faces great challenges for large-scale industrial operation. Here we summarize recent developments in seawater splitting, covering general mechanisms, design criteria for electrodes, and industrial electrolyzer for direct seawater splitting. Multi-objective optimization methods to address the key challenges of active sites, reaction …

A Self-Supported Ru-Cu3P Catalyst Toward Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution, Zi-Xuan Wan, Chao-Hui Wang, Xiong-Wu Kang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Transition metal phosphide (TMP) is a kind of effective catalysts toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolytes. However, the performance of TMP catalysts is strongly limited by water splitting. In this work, we developed a method to prepare a copper foam (CF) supported Ru-doped Cu₃P catalyst (Ru-Cu₃P/CF) by a consecutive growth of Cu(OH)₂ nanoarrays, soaking in RuCl₃ solution and phosphorization. A large surface area was obtained by the self-supported catalysts with the appropriative Ru doping. As an excellent HER catalyst, it exhibited a low overpotential of 95.6 mV at a current density of …

Catalytic Effect Of Disordered Ru-O Configurations For Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution, Xue Sun, Ya-Jie Song, Ren-Long Li, Jia-Jun Wang

Journal of Electrochemistry

Phase engineering is considered as an effective method for modulating the electronic structure and catalytic activity of catalysts. The disordered conformation of amorphous materials allows flexible reforming of the surface electronic structure, showing their attractiveness as catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, we designed and developed an amorphous ruthenium dioxide (a-RuO₂) catalyst with a disordered Ru-O configuration. The conformational relationship between Ru-O ordering and HER performance is established by combining advanced electron microscopic techniques with detailed electrochemical tests. Specifically, the disordered Ru-O coordination significantly enhanced the HER catalytic activity in both acidic and alkaline media, ultimately leading …

Alkaline Water Electrolysis For Efficient Hydrogen Production, Wen-Fu Xie, Ming-Fei Shao

Journal of Electrochemistry

Hydrogen production from water electrolysis is a sustainable and environmentally benign strategy in comparison with fossil fuel-based hydrogen. However, this promising technique suffers from the high energy consumption and unsatisfactory cost due to the sluggish kinetics of both half reaction and inferior stability of electrocatalysts. To address this challenge, herein, we present a timely and comprehensive review on advances in alkaline water electrolysis that is already commercialized for large scale hydrogen production. The design principles and strategies with aiming to promote the performance of hydrogen generation are discussed from the view of electrocatalyst, electrode, reaction and system. The challenges and …

Method For Routine Density Measurement Of Sublimating Solid Carbon Dioxide (Dry Ice) For Cold-Chain Quality Control, Kimberly Hafner, Bruce A. Welt, William Pelletier

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

With recent development of vaccines and biologics, interest in dry ice for cold chain shipping has increased. However, understanding of how dry ice properties relate to performance is not well understood. This study introduces a simple method for measuring a key property of dry ice that has been shown to correlate to performance. The method involves a variant of the water displacement method for determining volume, where dense solid particles are used in place of water for volume determination. Three particle types (sieved sand, glass beads, and stainless-steel shot) were tested for suitability with the particle displacement method. Items of …

Electrophilic Aldehyde 4-Hydroxy-2-Nonenal Mediated Signaling And Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Sudha Sharma, Papori Sharma, Tara Bailey, Susmita Bhattarai, Utsab Subedi, Chloe Miller, Hosne Ara, Srivatsan Kidambi, Hong Sun, Manikandan Panchatcharam, Sumitra Miriyala

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Reactive oxygen species (ROS), a by-product of aerobic life, are highly reactive molecules with unpaired electrons. The excess of ROS leads to oxidative stress, instigating the peroxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the lipid membrane through a free radical chain reaction and the formation of the most bioactive aldehyde, known as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). 4-HNE functions as a signaling molecule and toxic product and acts mainly by forming covalent adducts with nucleophilic functional groups in proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. The mitochondria have been implicated as a site for 4-HNE generation and adduction. Several studies clarified how 4-HNE affects the …

Film-Terminated Fibrillar Microstructures With Improved Adhesion On Skin-Like Surfaces, Gabriela Moreira Lana, Xuan Zhang, Christian Müller, René Hensel, Eduard Arzt

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Adhesives for interaction with human skin and tissues are needed for multiple applications. Micropatterned dry adhesives are potential candidates, allowing for a conformal contact and glue-free adhesion based on van der Waals interactions. In this study, we investigate the superior adhesion of film-terminated fibrillar microstructures (fibril diameter, 60 μm; aspect ratio, 3) in contact with surfaces of skin-like roughness (Rz 50 μm). Adhesion decays only moderately with increasing roughness, in contrast to unstructured samples. Sinusoidal model surfaces adhere when their wavelengths exceed about four fibril diameters. The film-terminated microstructure exhibits a saturation of the compressive force during application, implying a …

Insight Into Nano-Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery From Carbonate Reservoirs Using Environmentally Friendly Nanomaterials, Ali Ahmadi, Abbas Khaksar Manshad, Jagar A. Ali, Stefan Iglauer, S. Mohammad Sajadi, Alireza Keshavarz, Amir H. Mohammadi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The use of nanoparticles (NPs) in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) processes is very effective in reducing the interfacial tension (IFT) and surface tension (ST) and altering the wettability of reservoir rocks. The main purpose of this study was to use the newly synthesized nanocomposites (KCl / SiO₂ / Xanthan NCs) in EOR applications. Several analytical techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were applied to confirm the validity of the synthesized NCs. From the synthesized NCs, nanofluids were prepared at different concentrations of 100-2000 ppm and characterized using electrical conductivity, IFT, …

Fabricating 3-Dimensional Human Brown Adipose Microtissues For Transplantation Studies, Ou Wang, Li Han, Haishuang Lin, Mingmei Tian, Shuyang Zhang, Bin Duan, Soonkyu Chung, Chi Zhang, Xiaojun Lian, Yong Wang, Yuguo Lei

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Transplanting cell cultured brown adipocytes (BAs) represents a promising approach to prevent and treat obesity (OB) and its associated metabolic disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, transplanted BAs have a very low survival rate in vivo. The enzymatic dissociation during the harvest of fully differentiated BAs also loses significant cells. There is a critical need for novel methods that can avoid cell death during cell preparation, transplantation, and in vivo. Here, we reported that preparing BAs as injectable microtissues could overcome the problem. We found that 3D culture promoted BA differentiation and UCP-1 expression, and the optimal initial …