Engineering Commons^™

Liquid Structure And Transport Properties Of The Deep Eutectic Solvent Ethaline, Henry Squire, Burcu E. Gurkan

Faculty Scholarship

A range of techniques including physical property measurements, neutron scattering experiments, ab initio molecular dynamics, and classical molecular dynamics simulations are used to probe the structural, thermodynamic, and transport properties of a deep eutectic solvent comprised of a 1:2 molar ratio of choline chloride and ethylene glycol. This mixture, known as Ethaline, has many desirable properties for use in a range of applications, and therefore, understanding its liquid structure and transport properties is of interest. Simulation results are able to capture experimental densities, diffusivities, viscosities, and structure factors extremely well. The solvation environment is dynamic and dominated by different hydrogen …

Model Predictive Control And Estimation Of Managed Pressure Drilling Using A Real-Time High Fidelity Flow Model, Junho Park, Cameron Price, David Pixton, Manuel Aghito, Roar Nybø, Knut Bjørkevoll, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

When drilling an oil or gas well, well pressures may be controlled using a technology called managed pressure drilling. This technology often relies on model predictive control schemes; however, practical limitations have generally led to the use of simplified controller models that do not optimally handle certain perturbations in the physical system. The present work reports on the first implementation of a highly accurate system model that has been adapted for real-time use in a controller. This real-time high-fidelity model approximates the results of offline high-fidelity models without requiring operation by model experts. The effectiveness of the model is demonstrated …

Engineering Dopant Position In Structure-Controlled Ceo2-Zro2 Catalysts, Behnam Safavinia

LSU Master's Theses

CeO₂-ZrO₂ (CZO) nanoparticles (NPs) have application in many catalytic reactions, such as methane reformation, due to their oxygen cycling ability. Ni doping has been shown to improve the catalytic activity and acts as an active site for the decomposition of methane. In this work, Ni:CZO NPs were synthesized via a two-step co-precipitation/molten salt synthesis to compare Ni distribution, oxygen vacancy concentration, and catalytic activity relative to a reference state-of-the-art catalyst. To better understand the effects of Ni position and dispersion, and oxygen vacancy formation in these materials, the Ni concentration, reaction time, and deposition methods were varied. …

Experimental Performance Evaluation Of A Hyper-Branched Polymer Electrolyte For Rechargeable Li-Air Batteries, Susanta K. Das, Joel Berry, Abhijit Sarkar

Mechanical Engineering Publications

A hyper-branched polymer (HBP) electrolyte is synthesized for rechargeable lithium-air (Li-air) battery cell and experimentally evaluated its performance in actual battery cell environment. Several real-world battery cells were fabricated with synthesized HBP electrolyte, pure lithium metal as anode and an oxygen permeable air cathode to evaluate reproducibility of the rechargeable Li-air battery cell. The effect of various conditions such as various HBP based electrolytes, discharge current −0.1~0.5 mA, cathode preparation processes and carbon contents on the battery cell performance were experimentally evaluated using the fabricated battery cells under dry air condition. Detailed HBP electrolyte synthesis procedures and experimental performance evaluation …

Evaluating And Developing A Reliable Reference Electrode For Choline Chloride Based Deep Eutectic Solvents, Xiaochen Shen, Jesse Wainright, Rohan Akolkar, Robert F. Savinell

Faculty Scholarship

The Ag/AgCl reference electrode is commonly used in choline chloride based deep eutectic solvents. However, we found it undergoes significant potential shifts in electrochemical tests which previous reports largely ignored. In this work, we studied the degradation mechanism leading to its instability. Results show that due to the high Cl− concentration in ethaline, the AgCl film easily dissolves and forms AgCl2 − species causing a potential shift. Therefore, we suggest a [Fe(CN)6]3−/[Fe(CN)6]4− reference electrode based on the reversibility and low diffusivity of [Fe(CN)6]3−/[Fe(CN)6]4− redox couple in ethaline, which was demonstrated to be reliable and stable over weeks of operation.

Investigating The Effects Of Accelerated Lithium Deposition On The Abuse Response Of Lithium-Ion Batteries, Eric J. Deichmann

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

Li deposition at the graphitic anode is widely reported in literature as one of the leading causes of capacity fade in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Previous literature has also linked Li deposition resulting from low-temperature and high-rate ageing to diminished safety characteristics, however no current research has probed the effects of Li deposition on the abuse response of well- characterized cells. Additionally, no previous studies have investigated the use of an accelerated Li deposition technique for probing the effects of Li deposition. Using overtemperature testing, a relationship between increased concentrations of Li deposition and exacerbated abuse response in 1Ah pouch cells …

Assessing The Removal Of Heavy Metals Using Emerging And Intensifying Technology Of Emulsion Liquid Membrane With Ionic Liquid, Qusay Al-Obaidi, Jasmine Monroe, Hannah Smith, Zaid Haha, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

(Pb(II)) is one of the heavy metals compounds founds in the industrial wastes that needs to be removed from treated wastewater. Emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) has been introduced as an emerging technology for advanced wastewater and water treatment. This emerging technology of treatment can be intensified by strategically adding the hydrophobic ionic liquid of [OMIM][PF6] and ({[BMIM]⁺ [NTf2]^-) ionic liquid to organic membrane phase (O) to facilitate the industrial implementation of ELM with ionic liquid. The results show that with the use of 5% (V/V) [OMIM][PF6] ionic liquid has increased the removal efficiency to 70.37% in reaction …

Scalable Synthesis Of Nanostructured Metal Oxide Films Using Aerosol Chemical Vapor Deposition For Energy Storage Applications, Clayton Kacica

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

As global energy consumption continues to rapidly increase, the need for new technologies to meet this demand in a sustainable way. Renewable sources such as solar and wind power are being increasingly utilized for electricity generation. However, the intermittent nature of these sources requires large-scale energy storage to reliably provide consistent power. Current grid-scale energy storage usually involves pumped hydroelectric systems, which are limited by location, or flywheel systems, which have limited use in high-power low-energy applications. Electrochemical storage solutions, such as lithium-ion batteries, provide robust energy storage that is not limited by location with a range of power and …

Ultrafine Particle-Particle And Particle-Ion Interactions In Aerosol Reactors, Girish Sharma

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Aerosol science and technology has enabled the material synthesis of ‘good’ nanoparticles, as well as, addressed the problem of air pollution by developing particle capture technologies for ‘bad’ nanoparticles. For material synthesis at industrial scale, flame aerosol reactors are extensively used for large-scale industrial production of ‘good’ nanoparticles. But, there exists a knowledge gap in understanding the early stages (1-10 nm) of particle formation and growth, which is necessary for tailoring the synthesized nanoparticles’ properties. To achieve this goal, measurement tools for the characterization of 1-10 nm particles are quintessential. On the other hand, to capture ‘bad’ particles, existing control …

Chemistry Of Nanoscale Solids And Organic Matter In Sustainable Water Management Systems, Xuanhao Wu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

To alleviate global water scarcity and improve public health, engineered water treatment and management systems have been developed for purifying contaminated water and desalinating brackish or ocean water. These engineered systems provide substantial amounts of potable water and lessen environmental concerns about the release of contaminated water. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), water desalination plants (WDPs), and managed aquifer recharge systems (MARs) are three representative sustainable water management (SWM) systems. But the operation of all three poses two fundamental questions: (1) What is the fate of nanoscale solids (e.g., engineered nanomaterials, naturally occurring nanoparticles) in SWM systems and how will their …

Engineering Ionomer Materials For Addressing Ohmic Resistances In Electrochemical Desalination And Waste Heat Recovery, Varada Menon Palakkal

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Water scarcity and energy availability present important challenges that need to be addressed in the coming centuries. In the front of water technologies, desalting brackish water is of extreme importance for thermal electric power plants, chemical manufacturing plants, and other industrial operations that treat and reuse their water utilities. Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is an energy efficient desalination technique that has drawn attention from commercial entities. Most material research studies on MCDI focus on enhancing electrode performance while little emphasis is given to rationale design of ion-exchange membranes (IEMs). In this work, the ionic conductivity, permselectivity, and thickness for three …

Kinetic Insights Into The Lignocellulosic Biomass-Based Levulinic Acid Production By A Mechanistic Model, Emília Savioli Lopes, Elmer Ccopa Rivera, Julio César De Jesus Gariboti, Luis Henrique Zimmermann Feistel, João Vitor Dutra, Rubens Maciel Filho, Laura Plazas Tovar

Faculty Publications

© 2020, Springer Nature B.V. Abstract: In this work, a mechanistic model was developed to simulate the kinetics of the production of levulinic acid (LA) from sugarcane bagasse (SCB), rice husk (RH) and soybean straw (SS). The production of LA from those agro-industrial wastes followed the methodology of biorefining in three stages. Experimental data from the third stage (catalytic depolymerization of cellulose) obtained under a wide range of operating conditions were used to estimate the parameters of the model. An optimization procedure based on a genetic algorithm was used to determine the optimal parameter values. The prediction of the concentrations …

Comparative Analysis Of Simulation Models Of The Production Of Ethylbenzene, Osariemen Imafidon

Honors Theses

Process Engineering is all about making sure a raw material can become the desired product with as little variation as possible, while achieving the customer's specifications. Many equipment used for chemical processes cannot be physically inspected during operation at steady state, hence, the need for simulation software. The objective of this study was to compare the results of three different simulation packages to evaluate their efficacy within process design.

This study focused on the economic analysis of the production of Ethylbenzene using various models. The base case variables were inputted into each model to simulate the calculations for a fully …

The Artificial Leaf: An Investigation Into The Sociotechnical Integration Of New Solar Energy Innovations, Alexandra K. Treml, Jamie M. Mears

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Increasing global demand, combined with the volatility of fossil fuels, has called for a large-scale increase in renewable energy production. Photovoltaics hold significant potential, but by nature, solar energy is intermittent and lacks dispatchability. Researchers around the world are working to create innovative solutions that utilize semiconductors found in solar cell technologies in new ways. This project harnesses photoelectrochemical water-splitting, which uses light energy to dissociate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. When the water-splitting device is submerged in saltwater and illuminated by sunlight, oxygen and hydrogen gas are produced on opposite surfaces, and can be either released or stored …

Ultrasound-Assisted Post-Pyrolysis Magnetization Of Microporous Biochar For Effective Removal Of Heavy Metals, Ronish Shrestha

Honors Theses

Low cost and efficient adsorption of heavy metals from wastewater and thorough removal of adsorbent after water treatment have become the two essential needs for the commercial use of any adsorbent. Biochar (BC), the solid byproduct of pyrolysis with microporous carbonaceous structure, has been increasingly recognized as an efficient adsorbent for a vast number of pollutants. Magnetization, though eases the separation and reuse of BC, significantly reduces its adsorption capacity to a comparatively much higher extent. In this study, a hybrid post-pyrolysis magnetization was developed which sustained and even significantly increased the adsorption capacity of biochar. The process included i) …

Comparative Analysis Of The Results From The Ideal Gas Assumptions With More Rigorous Calculations From Pro/Ii Of The Production Of Pharmaceutical Grade Acetone, Soibifaa Frank-Briggs

Honors Theses

The Chemical engineering team was assigned by Landshark Inc to investigate the production of 30,000 tonnes/yr of pharmaceutical-grade acetone with a purity of 99.9 wt.% from the dehydrogenation of isopropanol (IPA). The team was tasked with determining the necessary process and unit operation criteria to ensure the economic feasibility of the proposed plant.

The major goal of this thesis is to provide a data comparison of the reactor in acetone production process when designed in Microsoft Excel and Pro/II. The first part of this thesis will introduce the base case briefly, transition into engineering optimizations and show the results found …

Chemical And Thermal Sintering Of Supported Metals With Emphasis On Cobalt Catalysts During Fischer−Tropsch Synthesis, Mahmood Rahmati, Mohammad-Saeed Safdari, Thomas H. Fletcher, Morris D. Argyle, Calvin H. Bartholomew

Faculty Publications

This comprehensive critical review combines, for the first time, recent advances in nanoscale surface chemistry, surface science, DFT, adsorption calorimetry, and in situ XRD and TEM to provide new insights into catalyst sintering. This work provides qualitative and quantitative estimates of the extent and rate of sintering as functions of nanocrystal (NC) size, temperature, and atmosphere. This review is unique in that besides summarizing important, useful data from previous studies, it also advances the field through addition of (i) improved or new models, (ii) new data summarized in original tables and figures, and (iii) new fundamental perspectives into sintering of …

Bulk Properties Correlated To The Hydrogen Bond Organization In Dendrimers, Hyperbranched Polymers, And Linear Polymers, Beibei Chen

Dissertations

Although a lot of research was conducted on dendritic polymers, our understanding of their structure-property is still limited. Our previous study, which focused on a family of dendritic polymers based on 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl) propionic acid (bis-MPA) as a monomer, discovered unique hydrogen bond organizations contributed by their dendritic structures. However, the influence of the H-bond organization on bulk properties has yet to be understood. The goal of this dissertation is to elucidate the correlation between the H-bond organization with the dielectric and volumetric properties of bis-MPA based dendritic polymers, with an emphasis on developing a fundamental understanding of to what extent …

Advancing Space Flight Medical Care Through On-Demand Protein Therapeutic Production Capabilities, Emily Long Zhao

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) is an in vitro protein synthesis system that provides a uniquely adaptable platform for protein production. In recent years, lyophilization of CFPS have expanded the capabilities of this system by improving reagent stability outside of cold-chain storage. This project sought to utilize lyophilized CFPS reagents to develop a convenient, shelf-stable, on-demand therapeutic protein production platform. The therapeutic protein production potential of this novel platform was demonstrated by the successful expression of an FDA approved therapeutic protein. With the advancement of shelf-stable, on-demand protein therapeutic production platforms comes the potential to provide point-of-care medical treatment for space-flight …

One-Dimensional Turbulence Modeling Of Soot Formation And Transport In Non-Premixed Turbulent Flames, Victoria B. Stephens

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Soot modeling in turbulent flames involves tightly coupled problems of combustion chemistry, particle transport, compressible fluid dynamics, and turbulence behavior in addition to soot chemistry and transport. Significant uncertainties accompany soot modeling and transport in such systems, hindering progress toward accurate combustion models and predictive simulation tools. The one-dimensional turbulence (ODT) model, using a stochastic approach to turbulence modeling, captures the full range of length and time scales in a simulation and provides detailed statistical data of the flow con-figuration, chemistry, and particle transport. Previously, ODT has demonstrated accuracy and computational efficiency compared to direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent, …

Improving Pv Module Efficiency Through Cooling, Blake Bradley

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Solarbacks researched and designed a variety of cooling methods that could be used to improve the efficiency of photovoltaics. These cooling methods can be separated into two categories: active and passive methods. The active cooling method of hydraulic cooling and the passive cooling methods of heat sinks (fins), optical coatings, thermosyphons, phase change materials, and thermoelectric generators were all taken into consideration as potential cooling methods. Passive cooling methods were preferred because the use of electricity required for the cooling mechanism would reduce the net electricity and subsequent profit from the panels.

Two variations of hydraulic cooling were researched: …

Improving Pv Module Efficiency Through Cooling, Megan Reynolds

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Solarbacks researched and designed a variety of cooling methods that could be used to improve the efficiency of photovoltaics. These cooling methods can be separated into two categories: active and passive methods. The active cooling method of hydraulic cooling and the passive cooling methods of heat sinks (fins), optical coatings, thermosyphons, phase change materials, and thermoelectric generators were all taken into consideration as potential cooling methods. Passive cooling methods were preferred because the use of electricity required for the cooling mechanism would reduce the net electricity and subsequent profit from the panels.

Two variations of hydraulic cooling were researched: …

Solution To Exide Technologies Inbatec Inefficiency, Shixuan Hou, Reagan Gilker, Mary Fairley, Spencer Christian, Covenson Latouche

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The inefficiency of the battery charging time in Inbatec Units 1 and 2 in the Exide Technologies Fort Smith was initially investigated by a student team in Fall 2019, and the investigation was continued into Spring 2020. The Exide Technologies facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas utilizes 13 Inbatec units to charge the lead-acid batteries. The Inbatec systems circulate the sulfuric acid solution through a cooling tower to maintain to optimal charging temperature. Previous analysis of the charging process for Inbatec Units 1 and 2 show the cooling tower have the capacity to quickly remove the excess heat in the sulfuric …

Synthesizing And Modeling The Optical Properties Of Silica Aerogel, Hannah Margavio

Honors Theses

Silica aerogel has attracted the attention of researchers for decades for its applications in insulation materials, storage, and solar-thermal devices. The appeal surrounding silica aerogel is attributed to its unique combination of physical and chemical properties. Silica aerogel is a highly porous, optically transparent nano-polymer with a low thermal conductivity. Additionally, the material boasts a super-low density, high specific surface area, and low dielectric constant. The following report proposes a viable method of synthesizing polyvinylpolymethylsilane (PVPMS) aerogel as well as a model for determining the optical performance of TMOS aerogel by determining its radiative properties. First, the report will explore …

Investigating The Effect Of Hydrophilic Block Length On The Co-Assembly Behavior Of Amphiphilic Triblock Copolymers, Alexandra M. Garrett

Honors Theses

Polymer vesicles and micelles have been of interest in the scientific community for the past few decades due to potential biomedical applications in areas such as drug delivery, nanoreactors, and biosensing. Polymer vesicles and micelles are formed through the self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers. The objective of this project is to gain a better understanding of the influence of hydrophilic block copolymer length and composition in controlling the resulting morphologies from the co-assembly of triblock copolymers. First, a hydrophobic block composed of poly(methyl acrylate) was synthesized using reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization mediated by a difunctional chain-transfer agent. The block …

Solution To Exide Technologies Inbatec Inefficiency, Mary Fairley, Reagan Gilker, Spencer Christian, Shixuan Hou, Covenson Latouche

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The inefficiency of the battery charging time in Inbatec Units 1 and 2 in the Exide Technologies Fort Smith was initially investigated by a student team in Fall 2019, and the investigation was continued into Spring 2020. The Exide Technologies facility in Fort Smith, Arkansas utilizes 13 Inbatec units to charge the lead-acid batteries.

The Inbatec systems circulate the sulfuric acid solution through a cooling tower to maintain to optimal charging temperature. Previous analysis of the charging process for Inbatec Units 1 and 2 show the cooling tower have the capacity to quickly remove the excess heat in the sulfuric …

Improving Pv Module Efficiency Through Cooling, Harrison Dawson

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Solarbacks researched and designed a variety of cooling methods that could be used to improve the efficiency of photovoltaics. These cooling methods can be separated into two categories: active and passive methods. The active cooling method of hydraulic cooling and the passive cooling methods of heat sinks (fins), optical coatings, thermosyphons, phase change materials, and thermoelectric generators were all taken into consideration as potential cooling methods. Passive cooling methods were preferred because the use of electricity required for the cooling mechanism would reduce the net electricity and subsequent profit from the panels.

Two variations of hydraulic cooling were researched: …

Characterization Of Oxone Mediated Tempo-Oxidized Nano Cellulose Mixed-Matrix Membranes During Ultrafiltration And Hemodialysis, Kristyn Robling

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The ninth leading cause of death in the United States is kidney disease, and hemodialysis is the process most commonly prescribed for treatment. It utilizes a selectively permeable membrane filter to remove toxins such as urea from the blood and retain necessary protein levels. However, traditional filters, such as cellulose triacetate, used during dialysis can be inefficient in terms of separation performance and reduction of fouling. Recent exploration of nanoparticles has resulted in the creation of Oxone Mediated TEMPO-Oxidized Nano Cellulose which has properties that are believed to increase hydrophilicity, increase tensile capacity, decrease membrane resistance and lower fouling, making …

Numerical And Experimental Analysis Of Air-Cooled Condensers, Kaipo Kekaula

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The scope of this project is to numerically and experimentally dry cooling process in air-cooled condensers (ACCs) designed for concentrated solar power (CSP) applications. This effort is driven by the growing economic and political pressure to reduce water consumption during power generation due to limited water resources in the arid geographic climate of the southwestern United States. A computational approach is used in conjunction with experimental validation to gain a more complete understanding of these systems.

Traditionally research into ACCs have been largely limited to air-side heat transfer modelling as it accounts for a large portion of the total thermal …

Removal Of Fluoride From Mine Water Via Adsorption For Land-Applied Soil Amendment, Kevin Le, Adrian Damian, Mary Johnson, Ethan Phan, Courtney Golman, Michelle Dopp, Jacqueline Payne

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

The team researched, designed, and economically analyzed a full-scale adsorption column system to be applied in mining processes that leave high amounts of fluoride in their effluent. This system was designed to remove fluoride from water saturated with calcium sulfate, as calcium sulfate is present in high amounts in certain mining processes. Currently, high density sludge (HDS) is commonly employed to reduce fluoride concentrations, but due to solubility limits the sludge treatment cannot lower fluoride below 10 mg/L (ppm). The current enforceable EPA standard for discharged water is at 4 mg/L (ppm), although mining companies anticipate that this standard will …