Engineering Commons^™

Hydrocracking Of Octacosane And Cobalt Fischer–Tropsch Wax Over Nonsulfided Nimo And Pt-Based Catalysts, Wenping Ma, Jungshik Kang, Gary Jacobs, Shelley D. Hopps, Burtron H. Davis

Center for Applied Energy Research Faculty and Staff Publications

The effect of activation environment (N₂, H₂ and H₂S/H₂) on the hydrocracking performance of a NiMo/Al catalyst was studied at 380 °C and 3.5 MPa using octacosane (C₂₈). The catalyst physical structure and acidity were characterized by BET, XRD, SEM-EDX and FTIR techniques. The N₂ activation generated more active nonsulfided NiMo/Al catalyst relative to the H₂ or H₂S activation (X_C28, 70–80% versus 6–10%). For a comparison, a NiMo/Si-Al catalyst was also tested after normal H₂ activation and showed higher activity at the same process …

A Comprehensive Review Of In-Situ Polymer Gel Simulation For Conformance Control, Baojun Bai, Jianqiao Leng, Mingzhen Wei

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Gel treatment has been widely applied in mature oilfields to improve sweep efficiency and control water production. Correct numerical simulation is of major importance to the optimization design and prediction of a successful gel treatment. However, there exist many problems in current simulation studies in published literature. This paper first presents a comprehensive review on the major factors that have been considered at different gelation stages during gel treatment, the models used in the commercial/in-house simulators, and current numerical simulation studies on both laboratory and field scales. Then we classify the current in-situ gel numerical simulation problems as 1, deficient …

Paper Porosity Studies Using The Sorption Method, A Sadriddinov, Z Galimova, I Ismoilov, X Babaxanova, M Mixaleva

Technical science and innovation

One of the main properties of paper affecting the quality of reproduction is porosity, which depends on many factors, such as properties of raw materials, casting mode. From this point of view it is important to have ideas about the influence of paper composition on their porous structure and it is important to know the dependencies affecting the formation of the porous structure of paper during their manufacture. Papers based on cellulose pulp from the inner layer of mulberry bark were used as an object of study and lint cotton cellulose papers were taken for comparison. In the paper to …

Impact Of Clay Stabilizer On The Methane Desorption Kinetics And Isotherms Of Longmaxi Shale, China, Zhong Hua Liu, Jia Chun Wang, Baojun Bai, Yan Ling Wang

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Knowing methane desorption characteristics is essential to define the contribution of adsorbed gas to gas well production. To evaluate the synthetic effect of a clay stabilizer solution on methane desorption kinetics and isotherms pertaining to Longmaxi shale, an experimental setup was designed based on the volumetric method. The objective was to conduct experiments on methane adsorption and desorption kinetics and isotherms before and after clay stabilizer treatments. The experimental data were a good fit for both the intraparticle diffusion model and the Freundlich isotherm model. We analyzed the effect of the clay stabilizer on desorption kinetics and isotherms. Results show …

Vermiculations In Painted Caves: New Inputs From Laboratory Experiments And Field Observations, Perrine Freydier, Eric Weber, Jérôme Martin, Pierre-Yves Jeannin, Béatrice Guerrier, Frédéric Doumenc

International Journal of Speleology

Vermiculations are aggregates of small particles commonly found on cave walls. They are a major concern for the conservation of painted caves, as they can potentially alter valuable prehistoric cave paintings. A previous rheological study of fine sediment deposits on cave walls revealed that this material can undergo a solid-to-liquid transition triggered by variations in the chemical composition of the water film on the wall. Such a transition could occur at the origin of vermiculations by allowing the sediment to flow under low mechanical stress. In this work, we provide quantitative information on the conditions leading to this transition and …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Low-Molecular-Weight Novolac Epoxy Derived From Lignin-Inspired Phenolics., Kelli M Hambleton, Joseph F. Stanzione Iii

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

The need for renewable polymers capable of replacing their petrochemical counterparts continues to grow as sustainability concerns rise. Bisguaiacol (BG), a bioinspired alternative to bisphenol-A (BPA), has been synthesized using vanillyl alcohol and guaiacol via an electrophilic aromatic condensation. Purification provides both BG and an oligomeric coproduct with a consistent number average molecular weight and dispersity of ∼650 Da and ∼1.00, respectively. This coproduct has been well characterized as a low-molecular-weight novolac averaging five hydroxyls per molecule and was transformed into an epoxy resin suitable for use in thermosetting resins. The bioinspired thermoset produced in this work, consisting of the …

Towards Detection Of Sars-Cov-2 Rna In Human Saliva: A Paper-Based Cell-Free Toehold Switch Biosensor With A Visual Bioluminescent Output, J. Porter Hunt, Emily Long Zhao, Tyler J. Free, Mehran Soltani, Chandler A. Warr, Alex B. Benedict, Melissa K. Takahashi, Joel S. Griffitts, William G. Pitt, Bradley C. Bundy

Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the global demand for rapid, low-cost, widely distributable and point-of-care nucleic acid diagnostic technologies. Such technologies could help disrupt transmission, sustain economies and preserve health and lives during widespread infection. In contrast, conventional nucleic acid diagnostic procedures require trained personnel, complex laboratories, expensive equipment, and protracted processing times. In this work, lyophilized cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) and toehold switch riboregulators are employed to develop a promising paper-based nucleic acid diagnostic platform activated simply by the addition of saliva. First, to facilitate distribution and deployment, an economical paper support matrix is identified and a mass-producible test …

Mechanical Properties And Characterization Of Epoxy Composites Containing Highly Entangled As-Received And Acid Treated Carbon Nanotubes, Aaron Krieg, Julia A. King, Gregory M. Odegard, Timothy Leftwich, Leif K. Odegard, Paul D. Fraley, Ibrahim Miskioglu, Claire Jolowsky, Matthew Lundblad, Jin Gyu Park, Richard Liang

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Huntsman–Merrimack MIRALON® carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a novel, highly entan-gled, commercially available, and scalable format of nanotubes. As-received and acid-treated CNTs were added to aerospace grade epoxy (CYCOM® 977-3), and the composites were characterized. The epoxy resin is expected to infiltrate the network of the CNTs and could improve mechanical properties. Epoxy composites were tested for flexural and viscoelastic properties and the as-re-ceived and acid treated CNTs were characterized using Field-Emission Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetric Analysis. Composites containing 0.4 wt% as-received CNTs showed an increase in flexural strength, from 136.9 MPa for neat epoxy …

Design Of A Custom Digital Light Projection Printer For In-Situ Production Of Composites With Improved Thermomechanical Properties, Margaret Anne Gillan

Theses and Dissertations

This work seeks to improve upon the existing state-of-the-art for vat photopolymerization additive manufacturing; namely, producing in-situ composites that combine the precision and high-performance materials of the vat photopolymerization with the strength of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. A custom-designed digital light projection printer was designed and built for printing composites, which includes an automated fiber tape system to place woven E-glass fiber mats in-situ. To validate the performance improvement of composites versus the neat matrix, composites were fabricated on the custom printer with hand-placed fiber mats. A high-performance, dual-cure resin was used for these studies. The effect of layer height on …

Metasurface Cloaks To Decouple Closely Spaced Printed Dipole Antenna Arrays Fed By A Microstrip-To-Balanced Transmission-Line Transition, Doojin Lee, Alexander B. Yakovlev

Faculty and Student Publications

In this work, we present a numerical study of 1D and 2D closely spaced antenna arrays of microstrip dipole antennas covered by a metasurface in order to properly cloak and decouple the antenna arrays operating at neighboring frequencies. We show that the two strongly coupled arrays fed by a microstrip-to-balanced transmission-line transition are effectively decoupled in 1D and 2D array scenarios by covering the dipole antenna elements with an elliptically shaped metasurface. The metasurface comprises sub-wavelength periodic metallic strips printed on an elliptically shaped dielectric cover around the dipole antennas and integrated with the substrate. We present a practical design …

Investigating Influence Of Geometry And Operating Conditions On Local Current, Concentration, And Crossover In Alkaline Water Electrolysis Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, J. S. Lopata, S-G. Kang, H-S. Cho, C-H. Kim, J. W. Weidner, Sirivatch Shimpalee

Faculty Publications

We use a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model to examine the liquid saturation, KOH concentration, and gas crossover in an alkaline diaphragm water electrolysis device. The effects of cell potential, solution feed rate, and aspects of the design such as the locations and widths of channels on performance and crossover were studied. The results build a case for implementing a separator transport model and an electrode/separator interface model because of the concentration changes observed at the anode and cathode. Simulations suggest a strong relationship between solution feed rate and the nature of dissolved gas crossover through the diaphragm due to …

A High Solids Field-To-Fuel Research Pipeline To Identify Interactions Between Feedstocks And Biofuel Production, Meenaa Chandrasekar, Leela Joshi, Karleigh M. Krieg, Sarvada Chipkar, Emily Burke, Derek J. Debrauske, Kurt D. Thelen, Trey K. Sato, Rebecca Ong

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Background: Environmental factors, such as weather extremes, have the potential to cause adverse effects on plant biomass quality and quantity. Beyond adversely affecting feedstock yield and composition, which have been extensively studied, environmental factors can have detrimental effects on saccharification and fermentation processes in biofuel production. Only a few studies have evaluated the effect of these factors on biomass deconstruction into biofuel and resulting fuel yields. This field-to-fuel evaluation of various feedstocks requires rigorous coordination of pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation experiments. A large number of biomass samples, often in limited quantity, are needed to thoroughly understand the effect of …

Emergence Of Non-Hexagonal Crystal Packing Of Deswollen And Deformed Ultra-Soft Microgels Under Osmotic Pressure Control, Molla R. Islam, Rachel Nguyen, L. Andrew Lyon

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Highly solvent swollen poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-acrylic acid) microgels are synthesized without exogenous crosslinker, making them extremely soft and deformable. These ultralow crosslinked microgels (ULC) are incubated under controlled osmotic pressure to provide a slow (and presumably thermodynamically controlled) approach to higher packing densities. It is found that ULC microgels show stable colloidal packing over a very wide range of osmotic pressures and thus packing densities. Surprising observation of co-existence between hexagonal and square lattices is also made over the lower range of studied osmotic pressures, with microgels apparently changing shape from spheres to cubes in defects or grain boundaries. It is proposed …

Optoacoustically Induced Auditory Brainstem Responses In The Mouse Model Enhanced Through An Absorbing Film, Gabriela Lana

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Dynamic Simulation Of A Novel Nuclear Hybrid Energy System With Large-Scale Hydrogen Storage In An Underground Salt Cavern, An Ho, Kasra Mohammadi, Matthew Memmott, John Hedengren, Kody Powell

Faculty Publications

In this study, a nuclear hybrid energy system (NHES) with large-scale hydrogen storage integrated with a gas turbine cycle is proposed as a flexible system for load following. The proposed system consists of a nuclear reactor, a steam Rankine cycle, a hydrogen electrolyzer, a storage system for hydrogen in an underground salt cavern, and a Brayton cycle that uses hydrogen as fuel to generate additional electricity to meet peak demand. A dynamic mathematical model is developed for each subsystem of the NHES. To evaluate the potential benefits of the system, a one-year study is conducted, using scaled grid demand data …

Electroanalytical Measurements Of Oxide Ions In Molten Cacl2 On W Electrode, Devin Rappleye, Chao Zhang, Art Nelson, Scott Simpson, Michael Simpson

Faculty Publications

The electrochemical interaction of oxide ions with tungsten electrodes in molten calcium chloride (CaCl₂) was analyzed by combining electroanalytical techniques with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. During a cyclic voltammetry (CV) scan, the oxide ions appear to interact with the tungsten working electrode via a multi-step oxidation and reduction process. The overall redox peaks behave reversibly up to 750 mV/s. This electrochemical process enables the oxide ion concentration to be correlated to CV oxidation peaks. The resulting correlation agrees well (8.8% difference) with back titration measurements and can be used to monitor oxide content in the salt in real-time during …

Comparative Evaluation Of Two Glass Polyalkenoate Cements: An In Vivo Pilot Study Using A Sheep Model, Leyla Hasandoost, Daniella Marx, Paul Zalzal, Oleg Safir, Mark Hurtig, Cina Mehrvar, Stephen D. Waldman, Marcello Papini, Mark R. Towler

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is used to manage bone loss in revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA). However, the application of PMMA has been associated with complications such as volumetric shrinkage, necrosis, wear debris, and loosening. Glass polyalkenoate cements (GPCs) have potential bone cementation applications. Unlike PMMA, GPC does not undergo volumetric shrinkage, adheres chemically to bone, and does not undergo an exothermic setting reaction. In this study, two different compositions of GPCs (GPCA and GPCB), based on the patented glass system SiO₂-CaO-SrO-P₂O₅-Ta₂O₅, were investigated. Working and setting times, pH, ion release, …

Tools And Strategies For The Patterning Of Bioactive Molecules And Macromolecules, Daniel J. Valles

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Hypersurface Photolithography (HP) is a printing method for fabricating structures and patterns composed of soft materials bound to solid surfaces and with ~1 micrometer resolution in the x, y, and z dimensions. This platform leverages benign, low intensity light to perform photochemical surface reactions with spatial and temporal control of irradiation, and, as a result, is particularly useful for patterning delicate organic and biological material. In particular, surface- initiated controlled radical polymerizations can be leveraged to create arbitrary polymer and block- copolymer brush patterns. Chapter 1 will review the advances in instrumentation architectures from our group that have made these …

Advances In Modeling Gas Adsorption In Porous Materials For The Characterization Applications, Max A. Maximov

Dissertations

The dissertation studies methods for mesoporous materials characterization using adsorption at various levels of scale and complexity. It starts with the topic introduction, necessary notations and definitions, recognized standards, and a literature review.

Synthesis of novel materials requires tailoring of the characterization methods and their thorough testing. The second chapter presents a nitrogen adsorption characterization study for silica colloidal crystals (synthetic opals). These materials have cage-like pores in the range of tens of nanometers. The adsorption model can be described within a macroscopic approach, based on the Derjaguin-Broekhoff-de Boer (DBdB) theory of capillary condensation. A kernel of theoretical isotherms is …

Shale Softening Based On Pore Network And Laboratory Investigations, Di Zhang

Dissertations

This dissertation consists of two major parts: Firstly, experimental investigation of four major shale softening mechanisms and quantifications of structural parameters. Secondly, numerical simulations of nano-scale flow behaviors using the previous experiments determined parameters based on modified pore network modeling.

Hydraulic fracturing is widely applied to economical gas production from shale reservoirs. Still, the gradual swelling of the clay micro/nano-pores due to retained fluid from hydraulic fracturing causes a gradual reduction of gas production. Four different gas-bearing shale samples are investigated to quantify the expected shale swelling due to hydraulic fracturing. These shale samples are subject to heated deionized (DI) …

Feedstock Powders For Reactive Structural Materials, Daniel Hastings

Dissertations

Metals as fuels have higher energy density per unit mass or volume compared to any hydrocarbon. At the same time, metals are common structural materials. Exploring metals as reactive structural materials may combine their high energy density with attractive mechanical properties. Preparing such materials, however, is challenging. Requirements that need to be met for applications include density, strength, and stability enabling the component to sustain the structure during its desired operation; added requirements are the amount and rate of the energy release upon impact or shock. Powder technology and additive manufacturing are approaches considered for design of reactive structural materials. …

Towards Quality By Design (Qbd) Of Pharmaceutical Oral Films Loaded With Poorly Watersoluble Drugs, Eylul Cetindag

Dissertations

Oral films are an emerging drug delivery dosage form with numerous advantages such as ease of handling, the possibility to circumvent the first-pass metabolism, better patient compliance, capability for continuous manufacturing, and as a platform for personalized medicine. As films are different from other final dosages by their dimensions and their matrix form, further research is required to better understand the impact of excipient and drug on product performance to assure a consistent and good quality product. Therefore, this dissertation aims to contribute towards the processability and manufacturability of films by examining the impact of the materials and processes. First, …

Exploring Fused Deposition Modeling (Fdm) Three-Dimensional Printing Tablet Design Options For Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms, Guluzar Gorkem Buyukgoz

Dissertations

This dissertation examines the use of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) based three-dimensional (3D) printing approach for developing patient-specific dosage forms and addressing related technical challenges in such drug delivery systems. The first main objective is to explore pharmaceutical tablet design options using novel FDM 3D printing technology as the drug delivery platform such that drug form and tablet properties are tailored by considering patient age-specific formulations and dissolution control. Of the five different design options, two proposed options meet the main objective of providing similar drug release, whereas the popular option of fixed drug concentration but differing tablet size could …

Problems Of Modeling And Control Of The Technological Process Of Ore Grinding, Djalolitdin Pakhritdinovich Mukhitdinov, Sanjar Boybutayev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article analyzes the methods of mathematical modeling of the closed-loop process of fine grinding of ore in order to predict the composition of the crushed raw material. Analyzed modeling methods that consider the control of classification of crushed raw materials and finished products by the size of the recirculating load, simulation modeling methods, methods that use neuro-phase netthe research apparatus, in which the fuzzy logic apparatus serves as a fundamental component for the formation of conclusions. The materials presented in the article reflect the theoretical substantiation and generalization of the accumulated practical experience in modeling and control of the …

Structural-Parametric Analysis And Synthesis Of Control Systems With Two Degrees Of Freedom, Azizbek Nodirbekovich Yusupbekov, Khurshid Salim Ugli Turayev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

Automatic tuning of the parameters of PID - regulators is proposed by means of a modified experiment that takes into account the influence of elements and circuits in the form of additive uncertainty. The use of a multiply connected control scheme with two degrees of freedom for decoupling is proposed in order to facilitate the implementation of a mechanism for combating the phenomenon of integral saturation. Equations are derived for the transition from a circuit with one degree of freedom to a circuit with two degrees of freedom for the general and special cases of a two-dimensional system, which makes …

Algorithm For The Synthesis Of The Control System Of A Double Mass Elastic Dynamic Object, Isomiddin Khakimovich Siddikov, Gulchekhra Rakhimjonovna Alimova, Davronbek Abdalimovich Khalmatov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

There are dealt with the creation of a control system for a dynamic object with an elastic property, described by a system of second-order differential equations, further transformed into two polynomial equations in matrix form in a paper. In order to solve the problem of synthesizing the control system, two matrix polynomials with unknown parameters were introduced into the system of equations, which is the transfer function of the controller, the order of which is two, giving the system the properties of astatism. To solve the delivered problem posed, the matrix polynomial equation was transformed into a matrix linear equation …

Preparation Of Meta-Nitrobenzoylhydrazone Ferrocenoylacetone And Synthesis On Its Basis, Zilola Abduraxmonovna Sulaymonova, Bako Bafayevich Umarov Doctor Chemical Science, Professor

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

β-diketone-ferrocenoylacetone was obtained by Claisen condensation. Meta-nitrobenzoylhydrazone of ferrocenoylacetone (H₂L) was synthesized by the interaction of meta-nitrobenzoic acid hydrazide with ferrocenoylacetone. On its basis, complexes with copper(II) and nickel(II) ions were synthesized. The obtained compounds were characterized by the methods of elemental analysis, IR-, ¹H NMR andelectronic spectroscopy. The research results showed that H₂L in solution exists in the form of a tautomeric mixture: hydrazone, α-hydroxyazine, and cyclic 5-hydroxypyrazoline forms. According to the results of IR and ¹H NMR spectra, the complexes were assigned a planar-square structure, and in them the doubly deprotonated …

Application Of Methods Of Intermittent Ventilation Of Industrial Premises Using A Digital Data Transmission System, Yuriy Shipulin, Abdullayev Temur, Jamolidin Usmanov, Shahnoza Ergasheva

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

The article is devoted to topical applied issues, the application of methods of intermittent ventilation of industrial buildings using a digital data transmission system. The requirements for the parameters of the environment are determined, which include: composition, purity, temperature, air humidity, the content of positive and negative ions, the presence of fields of various origins (thermal, optical, biological, gas, and electromagnetic). The authors of the article argue that some of the listed parameters can be supported by ventilation and air conditioning (SCA) systems.

It is shown that when the controlled parameters are limited to a multidimensional area, the SCA control …

Algorithms For Controlling The State Of Executive Mechanisms, Farkhod Kasimov, Mirkhalil Ismailov

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

When constructing automatic control systems, the main attention often is paid to determining the optimal parameters of system regulators than other elements that make up the system. The executive mechanisms also significantly affect the function quality of the control system. In this article, the actuators were considered as a sub-system within the control system and control algorithms with open and closed-loop communication relative to the actuators were investigated. To assess the real state of the actuators, and improved control structure with sensors installed on the moving parts has been developed. For this structure, an algorithm for evaluating and controlling the …

Artificial Neural Networks For Measuring The Moisture Of Bulk Materials, Erkin Uljaev, Shohrux Nurali O‘G‘Li Narzullayev

Chemical Technology, Control and Management

One of the urgent tasks of industrial production is improving the quality of verification of received, manufactured, and stored products, reducing energy consumption in the production of a final product. The solution to this problem is impossible without the creation of devices that control the quality indicators of materials within the limits of the permissible error. One of the most common indicators of the quality of bulk materials is moisture. In the national economy and industrial production, it is required to determine the moisture content of more than 500 different substances and materials. The paper shows the possibility of using …