Engineering Commons^™

Evaluation Of Novel Preformed Particle Gels For Conformance Control And Acid Stimulation Through Core Flooding Tests, Shuda Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

"Acid stimulation and conformance control are two major methods to improve oil production. This study systematically evaluates two newly developed gels: Degradable Preformed Particle Gel (DPPG) and Re-crosslinkable Preformed Polymer Gel (RPPG). DPPG is designed to be a temporary plugging agent for acid stimulation and can self-degrade into a water-like fluid. RPPG is designed for reservoir sweep efficiency improvement and can re-crosslink to each other and form an immobile bulk gel after being placed in fractures or fracture-like conduits.

For DPPG, this study evaluates the effect of monomer, crosslinker, and initiator concentration on the swelling and degradation performance. Results show …

Predictions Of Produced Water Quality And Recycled Water Optimization For Spatially-Distributed Wells In Point Pleasant Formation, Armel Quentin Mbakop

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The treatment of produced water as a fracturing fluid is becoming an increasingly important aspect of water management surrounding the booming of the unconventional oil and gas industry. Two main problems facing the oil and gas industry are the availability of water for well drilling and completion and disposal of the produced water. Unconventional well drilling and completion in the Utica shale requires large amounts of water. The wastewater that results after production—containing high levels of organic and inorganic matter— is usually disposed of through deep well injection. A new approach reuses this produced water as part of subsequent fracturing …

Application Of Artificial Intelligence For Co2 Storage In Saline Aquifer (Smart Proxy For Snap-Shot In Time), Marwan Mohammed Alnuaimi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology have grown in popularity. Smart Proxy Models (SPM) are AI/ML based data-driven models which have proven to be quite crucial in petroleum engineering domain with abundant data, or operations in which large surface/ subsurface volume of data is generated. Climate change mitigation is one application of such technology to simulate and monitor CO2 injection into underground formations.

The goal of the SPM developed in this study is to replicate the results (in terms of pressure and saturation outputs) of the numerical reservoir simulation model (CMG) for CO2 injection into …

Combinatorial Approaches For Effective Design, Synthesis, And Optimization Of Enzyme-Based Conjugates, Jordan Scott Chapman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The specificity and efficiency with which enzymes catalyze selective chemical reactions far exceeds the performance of traditional heterogeneous catalysts that are predominant in industrial applications such as conversion of commodity chemicals to value-added products, fuel cells, and petroleum refinement. Moreover, biocatalysts exhibit exceptionally high product turnover at ambient conditions with little health and environmental burden. These advantageous qualities have led to the prolific use of enzyme catalysis in pharmaceutical, detergents, and food preservation industries wherein their use has greatly reduced waste generation, Unfortunately, the full slate of benefits that enzymes can impart to a broader range of chemical processes is …

Depolymerization Of Dealkaline Lignin In Co-Solvent System By Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation In A Microreactor, Lalida Waura-Angkura

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Currently, the production of fuels and chemicals heavily relies on non-renewable petroleum oil, which is projected to be depleted by 2050. Lignin is the largest source of renewable aromatic compounds rich in carboxylic and hydroxyl functional groups, thus potentially being used as a renewable alternative for the production of valuable chemicals. In light of aromatic compounds’ recovery from lignin, this work focuses on the efficient depolymerization of dealkaline lignin using the electrochemical advanced oxidation process (EAOP) under ambient conditions in a continuous-flow microreactor system. As hydroxyl radicals generated from water at the anode are the key to the EAOP and …

Numerical Simulation Study For Carbon Dioxide Sequestration In A Depleted Oil Reservoir, Romal Ramadhan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Due to the rise in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, one of the most concerning issues at the moment is the climate change. One of the techniques to reduce CO2 emissions, particularly geological storage, is carbon capture and storage (CCS). This study provides the statement of how pressure build-up and CO2 injection rates impact several aspects of CO2 storage, including storage capacity, plume migration, and shut-in time. This study aims to assess the storage capacity of geological formations with different maximum pressure varying from 70% - 90% of fracture pressure to evaluate the formation response to various maximum pressure …

Production Of Jet-Fuel Range Hydrocarbons From Methanol Through The One-Pot Cascade Reactions In A Fixed-Bed Reactor, Natthanicha Prawiset

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The demand for sustainable and efficient processes for the production of jet fuel range hydrocarbons has been increasing due to the environmental concerns associated with conventional fossil fuel sources. The research focuses on the development and optimization of a catalytic system capable of converting methanol, which can be produced from carbon dioxide, into jet-fuel range hydrocarbons through one-pot cascade reactions in a fixed-bed reactor. The study begins with catalyst screening, HZSM-5 catalyst with a high SiO­2/Al2O3 ratio of 322 was chosen for the firstly converted methanol into light olefins intermediate, and the HZSM-5 catalyst with SiO­2/Al2O3 ratio of 40 was …

Prediction Of Polybutadiene Rubber Property Via Artificial Neural Network, Ronakrit Laohamonthonkul

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Polybutadiene rubber (PBR) is manufactured by polymerization of 1,3-butadiene (BD). Mooney viscosity is an essential property of PBR which is time-consuming in the laboratory to receive the result. Mooney viscosity of PBR depends on various process parameters, and correlations between key process parameters and Mooney viscosity (MV) are highly complex and non-linear. Artificial neural network (ANN) assists the prediction of MV by identifying the correlations between key process parameters and MV. Nine ANN-based models from two training functions in MATLAB were developed to predict Mooney viscosity based on actual process parameters and MV value in 2022. The analytical part of …

A Local Mode Study Of Ring Puckering Effects In The Infrared Spectra Of Cyclopentane, Edwin L. Sibert Iii, Peter F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We report and interpret recently recorded high-resolution infrared spectra for the fundamentals of the CH₂ scissors and CH stretches of gas phase cyclopentane at −26.1 and −50 ^○C, respectively. We extend previous theoretical studies of this molecule, which is known to undergo barrierless pseudorotation due to ring puckering, by constructing local mode Hamiltonians of the stretching and scissor vibrations for which the frequencies, couplings, and linear dipoles are calculated as functions of the pseudorotation angle using B3LYP/6-311++(d,p) and MP2/cc-pVTZ levels of theory. Symmetrization (D_5h) of the vibrational basis sets leads to simple vibration/pseudorotation Hamiltonians whose solutions …

Graphical Revamping Of A Crude Distillation Unit Under Two Variable Operational Scenarios - Naphtha Stabilizer And Reformer Operated, Amany G. Abo-Mousa, Dina A. Kamel, Hany A. Elazab, Mamdouh A. Gadalla, Mai K. Fouad

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Energy costs represent significant parts of the total operating costs of crude refining industries. Energy integration is a typical solution to reduce heating and cooling utilities in crude refining plants through maximizing the target temperature of crude oil streams before entering the furnace. Over the past few decades, a significant progress has been made in energy integration methods including Pinch technology and mathematical programming approaches. Example of these is a graphical technique which plots Thot versus Tcold for energy analysis and revamping studies. The current research employs the Thot - Tcold diagrams in an algorithm to retrofit an existing crude …

Effect Of Açai Berry Extract Application On The Bond Strength To The Bleached Enamel Using An Experimental Etch-And-Rinse Adhesive, Lamiaa M. Moharam, Haidy N. Salem, Shahinaz N. Hassan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Background: To evaluate the bleached enamel shear bond strength (SBS) after antioxidants application using an experimental adhesive. Material and Methods: Sixty sound human molars had their roots removed then cut into buccal and lingual halves and mounted in acrylic blocks. Enamel bleaching was done using an in-office chemical bleaching agent. Specimens were arbitrarily allocated into 12 groups (n=10) regarding the three experimental levels of the study: two antioxidant agents [10% açai berry extract, 10% sodium ascorbate prepared gels (applied for 15-min) and the control group (no antioxidant application)], two adhesive materials [commercial etch-and-rinse (ER) adhesive and an experimental ER adhesive] …

Reducing Print Time While Minimizing Loss In Mechanical Properties In Consumer Fdm Parts, Long Le, Mitchel A. Rabsatt, Hamid Eisazadeh, Mona Torabizadeh

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Fused deposition modeling (FDM), one of various additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, offers a useful and accessible tool for prototyping and manufacturing small volume functional parts. Polylactic acid (PLA) is among the commonly used materials for this process. This study explores the mechanical properties and print time of additively manufactured PLA with consideration to various process parameters. The objective of this study is to optimize the process parameters for the fastest print time possible while minimizing the loss in ultimate strength. Design of experiments (DOE) was employed using a split-plot design with five factors. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to …

Type-B Energetic Processes And Their Associated Scientific Implications, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Recently, our work has identified two thermodynamically distinct types (A and B) of energetic processes naturally occurring on Earth. Type-A energy processes such as the classical heat engines, ATP hydrolysis, and many of the known chemical, electrical, and mechanical processes apparently follow well the second law of thermodynamics; Type-B energy processes, for example, the newly discovered thermotropic function that isothermally utilizes environmental heat energy to do useful work in driving ATP synthesis, follow the first law of thermodynamics (conservation of mass and energy) but do not have to be constrained by the second law, owing to its special asymmetric functions. …

Lignin Valorization Via Reductive Depolymerization Using Promoted Nickel Catalysts And Sub- And Supercritical Methanol, Julia Parker

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

While lignin has been regarded as the most promising renewable feedstock for the sustainable manufacture of aromatic compounds, lignin valorization is necessary to improve the economic viability of biorefineries. Reductive catalytic fractionation (RCF), which combines delignification and lignin depolymerization into a single stage while maintaining the structure and integrity of the cellulose component, has evolved as an effective method for processing biomass. The ability of Cu and Fe to promote the performance of a 20% Ni/alumina catalyst when converting native lignin to alkylphenols by RCF in sub- and supercritical methanol was tested. The effectiveness of lignin extraction as measured by …

Calcite Depression In Bastnaesite-Calcite Flotation System Using Organic Acids, Emmy Muhoza

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Bastnaesite is the primary source of light REEs, namely cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), to name a few. Bastnaesite is typically concentrated using the froth flotation beneficiation method. Flotation of bastnaesite suffers from high reagent consumption due to the similar surface characteristics of bastnaesite and associated gangue minerals, including calcite. Additionally, complex stages of high-temperature conditioning are often required to suppress the detrimental impact of dissolved calcium ions on the flotation of bastnaesite. This research seeks to investigate the capabilities of organic acids in the bastnaesite-calcite flotation systems to selectively depress calcite minerals and effectively chelate calcium …

Reverse Cationic Flotation Of Hematite, Natalia Parra Alvarez

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The reverse cationic flotation of hematite is the most common method to process hematite ores. The goal of this research is to understand the impact of fundamental water and surface effects to enable the optimization of the flotation process. At present, reverse cationic flotation is performed using a single chemical as both collector and frother. Excessive amounts of frother or collector should lead to diminished performance. This research investigates this phenomenon by replacing some of the collector with frothers. It was found that flotation recovery can be improved up to 2.5wt% via 10% replacement with methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC). Since …

Molecular Modeling Of High-Performance Thermoset Polymer Matrix Composites For Aerospace Applications, Prathamesh P. Deshpande

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The global efforts from major space agencies to transport humans to Mars will require a novel lightweight and ultra-high strength material for the spacecraft structure. Three decades of research with the carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have proved that the material can be an ideal candidate for the composite reinforcement if certain shortcomings are overcome. Also, the rapid development of the polymer resin industry has introduced a wide range of high-performance resins that show high compatibility with the graphitic surface of the CNTs. This research explores the computational design of these materials and evaluates their efficacy as the next generation of aerospace …

Towards A Circular Economy: Liquid-Fed Fast Pyrolysis Of Waste Polyolefin Plastics, Daniel G. Kulas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Plastic usage has quickly grown in recent years as plastics have become an essential part of everyday life. Unfortunately, recycling rates have not matched the increased growth, with the majority of waste plastic landfilled. The strategy of circular economy has been proposed to reuse the waste plastic to create new polymers, thus avoiding both landfilling and the use of virgin raw materials. Achieving a circular economy for plastics requires the development of new technologies capable of recycling plastic waste under a circular economy perspective. In this dissertation, a novel liquid-fed fast pyrolysis process is introduced towards achieving a circular economy. …

Development Of Advanced Models For Pre-Ignition Prediction In Gas Engines And Analytical Model For Wallfilm Evaporation, Ankith Ullal

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Ever-changing regulations aimed at improving efficiency and reducing harmful emissions have resulted in many power-generation device (engine) manufacturers to adopt new strategies. Computer simulation of these new strategies of power generation requires more accurate and higher fidelity modelling tools. In the present study, two such models are developed. The first model deals with pre-ignition phenomena driven by lubricant (lube) oil in natural gas engines and the second model is relevant to prediction of wallfilm evaporation by employing analytical solutions to transport governing equations for boundary layers.

Pre-ignition in engines has been the subject of current research with the advent of …

Recovering And Upgrading Kraft Lignin For Application In Flexible Polyurethane Foam, Peng Quan

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lignin is the second abundant natural polymer and has been highlighted as a potential substitute for fossil-based raw materials. However, the inherent molecular heterogeneity and the complex recovery processes result in the challenge of controlling the molecular properties and value-added applications of lignin in large scale. To address those issues, a novel acid-liquefaction process was developed in this study to recover Kraft lignin with improved molecular homogeneity directly from black liquor.

In the first study, the liquefaction parameters were screened based on yield and molecular weight properties of the recovered lignin. Then, the recovered lignin samples were used to replace …

Measuring The Physicochemical Properties Of Viral Vectors To Enhance Gene Therapy Production, Oluwatoyin Areo

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Gene therapy is a therapeutic intervention designed to correct single gene disorders. AAV has been identified as a suitable vector for delivering therapeutic genes. However, the use of AAV has been hampered by manufacturing challenges inclusive of low virus recovery, and the presence of AAV without the gene of interest (empty capsids). To solve these problems, we characterized the charge and hydrophobicity of AAV, and surrogate viruses using chemical force microscopy (CFM). CFM uses a modified atomic force microscope (AFM) probe to measure the adhesion force between a virus particle and a functional chemistry.The virus particles to be measured are …

Reinforcement Of Elastomers By Reactive Ionic Surfactant, Nicole Vickerman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Elastomers without cross-linking agents or fillers do not have the necessary properties for practical applications in the rubber industry. Elastomers must be reinforced with fillers and/or cross-linking agents to achieve the needs of physical and mechanical properties for commercial products. Sodium octyl 6-mercaptohexyl phosphate (SOMP) and sodium ethyl (6-mercaptohexyl) phosphate (SEMP) were used to investigate the influence of a reactive ionic surfactant and its influence on the physical properties of peroxide crosslinked styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). SEMP and SOMP were both found to be able to be grafted successfully on to the SBR chains within the rubber using extraction testing …

Simulation Of Photoelectrochemical Co2 Conversion To Useful Chemicals, Aroonroj Chaosukho

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) CO2 reduction reaction (CO2 RR) is one of the possible solutions to reduce CO2 emissions. Among a variety of products derived from CO2 RR, CO, and HCOO- are found to be interesting chemicals. The geometry and arrangement of the main components of PEC cells play important roles in the cell performance of CO2 RR. In this study, a correlation of hydrodynamics and kinetics on the TiO2-photoanode and SnO2-GDE, used as a cathode, was investigated by COMSOL Multiphysics by controlling operating conditions for 2-dimensional different PEC cell configurations. The Microfluidic flow cell (MFC) with a zero-gap anode with a …

Techno-Economic Analysis Of Succinic Acid Production From Sugarcane Molasses, Apitsada Rongsawad

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study proposes an alternative approach to address global warming concerns by introducing bio-based succinic acid production derived from molasses and waste CO2 in ethanol production as a substitute for conventional petroleum-based methods. The evaluation focuses on the downstream process; reactive extraction, aiming to assess its feasibility in terms of technical, economic, energy, and CO2 emission performance. The results indicate that the integrated process, Int. ETOH+SA 25:75, exhibits remarkable benefits, including a 66% reduction in CO2 emissions from ethanol production, a 77% decrease in energy consumption compared to petroleum-based methods, and NPV of 2,180 million USD with a 40.81% IRR …

Techno-Economic And Environmental Assessment For Enhancementbiodiesel Production Process Using Rotating Tube Reactor And Dry Washing, Arthit Jarungwongsathien

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The study aims at exploring the potential use of rotating tube reactor (RTR) and performing economic analysis as wells as addressing the challenges associated with the utilization of different feedstocks including of refined palm oil (RPO) and waste cooking oil (WCO) for biodiesel production. The type of feedstock strongly influenced the optimum reaction temperature. For instance, RPO can produce biodiesel in the RTR at room temperature while WCO required the external heat source for biodiesel production at 65°C. In addition, two transesterification steps of WCO were required to achieve 95.16%. Simulation results found that the process intensification using RTR and …

Enzymatic Pretreatment Of Rice Bran Acid Oil Before Γ-Oryzanol Recovery, Asdarina Binti Yahya

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aims to apply enzymatic reactions for pretreating the major byproduct of rice bran oil (RBO) industry, rice bran acid oil (RBAO) before γ-oryzanol recovery. RBAO contains free fatty acids (FFAs), glycerides, and is rich in the super-antioxidant, γ-oryzanol. As a primary step to recover γ-oryzanol from RBAO, glycerides must be removed because of having similar polarity with γ-oryzanol. This study is conducted in two parts, hydrolysis and esterification/transesterification. In the first part, enzymatic hydrolysis. The study evaluates the performance of operating conditions using one factor at a time (OFAT) on the reaction time, temperature, lipase loading, water:RBAO ratio, …

Development Of Bioplastic Composite Films With Improved Antimicrobial Properties: A Comparative Study Between Blown Film Extrusion, Doctor Blading And Spray Coating, Atiwit Singhapan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB4HB) is a bioplastic that has gained attention as a potential alternative to petroleum-based plastics in film packaging due to its good barrier properties and thermal stability. However, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) has no outstanding properties. Therefore, the researcher added lignin powder to improve its antimicrobial properties, another essential property of the packaging film. This work successfully prepared a composite bioplastic film between poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) and lignin powder by forming through a blown film extrusion, doctor blading, and spray coating. In order to give the film a high surface energy and enable it to adhere to the lignin solution on the surface, the …

Glycerol Carbonate Production From Glycerol And Diethyl Carbonate: A Comparative Study Between A Separated Reaction/Distillation (Srd) Process And A Reactive Distillation (Rd) Process, Chayanin Sriharuethai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Glycerol carbonate is one of the valuable products that can be converted from glycerol produced in the biodiesel industry. In this work, the continuous process of glycerol carbonate production via transesterification from crude glycerol and diethyl carbonate will be developed using Aspen Plus simulation. There are two processes to be considered. First, the separated reaction/distillation (SRD) process consists of a continuously stirred tank reactor for the reaction section and a distillation column for the purification section. Second, the reactive distillation (RD) process consists of a reactive distillation column that can accommodate both the reaction and purification in a single column, …

Parameters Optimization In Chlor-Alkali Ion-Exchange Membrane Electrolysis Process With Artificial Neural Network, Kittapas Sukantowong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Since ion-exchange membrane electrolysis cell has developed for producing Chlor-Alkali products. New higher efficiency and lower consumption technology are released from licensors yearly, which made the process correlation deviate from the original design. The machine learning is used with “Neural Network Fitting Tool (nftool)” in MATLAB. To find a correlation between 5 inputs consisting of current density (CD, KA/m2), operation day (DOL, day), feed brine flow rate (QFB, m3/h), feed caustic flow rate (QHD, m3/h), cell temperature (T, degC) and one output which is cell voltage (CV, V). Datasets were collected from the plant information management system “exaquantum” historian database. …

Economic Evaluation Of Ethyl Lactate Production Via Reactive Distillation At Different Concentrations Of Lactic Acid, Nattapat Klin-U-Bol

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Ethyl lactate is a green solvent made from agricultural crops, making it more environmentally friendly than petrochemical solvents. The product is obtained via esterification of lactic acid with ethanol over Amberlyst-15 acid catalyst in a reactive distillation column. In commercial-scale production of ethyl lactate, this work designs production processes at two concentrations of lactic acid (50 and 85 wt.%) and two ethanol feed temperatures (25 and 85 °C). Highly concentrated lactic acid can result in adverse effects, such as increased oligomers and reduced desired products, making a comprehensive simulation of the production process necessary to evaluate energy consumption, economics, and …