Engineering Commons^™

Pressure-Driven Stabilization Of Capacitive Deionization, Landon S. Caudill

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The effects of system pressure on the performance stability of flow-through capacitive deionization (CDI) cells was investigated. Initial data showed that the highly porous carbon electrodes possessed air/oxygen in the micropores, and the increased system pressure boosts the gases solubility in saline solution and carries them out of the cell in the effluent. Upon applying a potential difference to the electrodes, capacitive-based ion adsorption occurs in competition with faradaic reactions that consume oxygen. Through the addition of backpressure, the rate of degradation decreases, allowing the cell to maintain its salt adsorption capacity (SAC) longer. The removal of oxygen from the …

Characterization Of Rotary Bell Atomizers Through Image Analysis Techniques, Jacob E. Wilson

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Three methods were developed to better understand and characterize the near-field dynamic processes of rotary bell atomization. The methods were developed with the goal of possible integration into industry to identify equipment changes through changes in the primary atomization of the bell. The first technique utilized high-speed imaging to capture qualitative ligament breakup and, in combination with a developed image processing technique and PIV software, was able to gain statistical size and velocity information about both ligaments and droplets in the image data. A second technique, using an Nd:YAG laser with an optical filter, was used to capture size statistics …

Intermittency Effects On The Universality Of Local Dissipation Scales In Turbulent Boundary Layer Flows With And Without Free-Stream Turbulence, Sabah Falih Habeeb Alhamdi

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Measurements of the small-scale dissipation statistics of turbulent boundary layer flows with and without free-stream turbulence are reported for Re_τ ≈ 1000 (Re_θ ≈ 2000). The scaling of the dissipation scale distribution is examined in these two boundary conditions of external wall-bounded flow.

Results demonstrated that the local large-scale Reynolds number based on the measured longitudinal integral length-scale fails to properly normalize the dissipation scale distribution near the wall in these two free-stream conditions, due to the imperfect characterization of the upper bound of the inertial cascade by the integral length-scale. When a length-scale based on Townsend's …

NoX Formation In Light-Hydrocarbon, Premixed Flames, Robert T. Hughes

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

This study explores the reactions and related species of NO_x pollutants in methane flames in order to understand their production and consumption during the combustion process. To do this, several analytical simulations were run to explore the behavior of nitrogen species in the pre-flame, post- flame, and reaction layer regions. The results were then analyzed in order to identify all "steady-state" species in the flame as well as the determine all the unnecessary reactions and species that are not required to meet a defined accuracy. The reductions were then applied and proven to be viable.

Partial Oxidation Of Ethane To Acetic Acid Using A Metallic Pd Promoted Movnb Catalyst Supported On Titania, Sulaiman Al-Mayman, Abdulrhman S. Al-Awadi, Yousef S. Al-Zeghayer, Moustafa A. Soliman

Chemical Engineering

The partial oxidation of ethane to acetic acid on a multi-component Mo16V6.37Nb2.05Pdx oxide catalyst supported on Degussa P25 titania has been investigated. The catalyst was characterized using BET surface area, X ray diffractometer (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The reaction was carried out in a differential reactor in a temperature range of 200-275°C and at a total pressure of 200 psi. The addition of trace amounts of nano-palladium, either as palladium oxides or metallic palladium, enhanced ethane oxidation towards the formation of acetic acid with near-complete depletion of the ethylene intermediate from the reactor effluent. The introduction of nano-Pd …

Assembling Of Niox/Mwcnts-Gc Anodic Nanocatalyst For Water Electrolysis Applications, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr., Yaser M. Asal Mr, Saher D. Khamis Eng

Chemical Engineering

Glassy carbon (GC) electrode is intended to be modified with nickel oxide (NiOx) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in the anodic reaction of water electrolysis. NiOx deposition time is optimized and a 5 min was enough to attain the maximum activity. A further modification of the catalyst with MWCNTs could greatly enhance its stability during continuous electrolysis. As an outcome, an energy amount of 21.7 kWh/KgO2 is minimized. Several electrochemical and materials characterization setups will be utilized to test the catalyst activity and to know its geometry and structure.

Fabrication Of Cuox-Pd Nanocatalyst Supported On A Glassy Carbon Electrode For Enhanced Formic Acid Electro-Oxidation, Islam M. Al-Akraa Dr., Ahmad M. Mohammad Prof, Mohamed S. El-Deab Prof, Bahgat E. El-Anadouli Prof

Chemical Engineering

Formic acid (FA) electro-oxidation (FAO) was investigated at a binary catalyst composed of palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs) and copper oxide nanowires (CuOxNWs) and assembled onto a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. /e deposition sequence of PdNPs and CuOxNWs was properly adjusted in such a way that could improve the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the electrode toward FAO. Several techniques including cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were all combined to report the catalyst’s activity and to evaluate its morphology, composition, and structure. /e highest catalytic activity and stability were obtained at the CuOx/Pd/GC …

Performance Of Nanoporous Carbon Membrane For Hydrogen Recovery, Abdulrahman A. Al-Rabiah, Abdelhamid M. Ajbar, Moustafa A. Soliman, Omar Y. Abdelaziz

Chemical Engineering

The aim of this work is to study the performance of nanoporous carbon membrane for hydrogen recovery from off-gas streams. The study is based on a rigorous mathematical model which can predict the performance of nanoporous selective surface flow (SSF) carbon membrane. Basically, the developed model is based on two transport mechanisms: the dusty gas flow through porous media and the surface adsorption-diffusion. The model was employed to simulate the hydrogen recovery from off-gas stream using SSF carbon membrane at different operating conditions. The separation performance of hydrogen-hydrocarbon mixture by nanoporous carbon membrane was evaluated and described. A comparison between …

Effects Of Co-Product Uses On Environmental And Economic Sustainability Of Hydrocarbon Biofuel From One- And Two-Step Pyrolysis Of Poplar, Daniel G. Kulas

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

This study investigated the environmental and economic sustainability of liquid hydrocarbon biofuel production via fast pyrolysis of poplar biomass through two pathways: a one-step pathway that converted poplar via fast pyrolysis only, and a twostep pathway that includes a torrefaction step prior to fast pyrolysis. Optimization of these fast pyrolysis-based biofuel processes were investigated through heat integration and alternative uses of the co-product biochar, which can be sold as an energy source to displace coal, soil amendment or processed into activated carbon. The impacts of optimization on the cost of hydrocarbon biofuel production as well as the environmental impacts were …

Reverse Insulator Dielectrophoresis: Utilizing Droplet Microenvironments For Discerning Molecular Expressions On Cell Surfaces, Jeana Collins

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technologies enable the development of portable analysis devices that use small sample and reagent volumes, allow for multiple unit operations, and couple with detectors to achieve high resolution and sensitivity, while having small footprints, low cost, short analysis times, and portability. Droplet microfluidics is a subset of LOCs with the unique benefit of enabling parallel analysis since each droplet can be utilized as an isolated microenvironment. This work explored adaptation of droplet microfluidics into a unique, previously unexplored application where the water/oil interface was harnessed to bend electric field lines within individual droplets for insulator dielectrophoretic (iDEP) characterizations. …

Investigation Of Mechanical, Electrical, And Thermal Properties Of Particulate/Fiber/Polymer Composites, Julie Tomasi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Composites have many applications due to their high strength to weight ratio, chemical resistance, and the ability to tune properties like electrical resistivity (ER). In this work, polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and cycloaliphatic epoxy (CE) composites with different fillers were studied. PEEK composites contained up to 10 wt% Akzo Nobel Ketjenblack carbon black (CB), up to 15 wt% Asbury Carbons TC307 graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), up to 30 wt% Solvay carbon fiber (CF), and combinations of the three carbons. Formulations were developed for electrostatic dissipative and electrically conductive applications. The most conductive formulation was 7.5 wt% CB/30 wt% CF/PEEK, which had an electrical …

Molecular Biogeochemistry Of A Poor Fen, Zhimin Song

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Variations in climate may rapidly change the carbon balance of peatlands and increase greenhouse gas emissions through accelerated decomposition of peat and dissolved organic matter (DOM). In this study, porewater samples were collected monthly from May to October in 2017 to study the effects of plant functional groups (PFGs) on DOM, dissolved inorganic and organic nitrogen through the season in a poor fen with replicate plots dominated by different PFGs in Nestoria, Michigan, USA (46.34˚N 88.16˚W). The composition of the peat porewater showed strong statistical significance with plot type and season.The observed PFG and season impact on the composition of …

Sequence Effects On The Glass Transition Temperature, William Drayer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Lithium ion batteries are widely used for the energy needs of portable electronic devices. Unfortunately, current liquid organic solvents used as the electrolytic portion of the battery have low thermal stability, resulting in batteries that may combust upon failure. This flammability can be attributed to the configurational strain in cyclic organic electrolytes. Due to the lack of configurational strain in a flexible polymer chain, designing polymer electrolytes for use in lithium ion batteries may result in a safer battery due to their lower flammability in comparison to traditional liquid organic electrolytes. From the perspective of an electrolytic polymer, lowering the …

Fundamental Aspects Of A Novel Technology For Abatement Of Indoor Allergens, Odell Lendor Glenn Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this research was to develop a novel approach to reduce the potency of certain asthma triggers, namely, proteins produced by pests or pets in indoor environments. The broad hypothesis of the research was that naturally occurring essential oils will demonstrate enhanced denaturing ability. In any indoor environment, allergens are bound to dry dust particles. In this work, the effectiveness of using dry ice and CO2 with potential for essential oils on dry allergenic proteins through CFD modeling and ELISA methods were evaluated.

There are three objectives central to this work. The first objective was to apply …

Surface And Structural Modification Of Carbon Electrodes For Electroanalysis And Electrochemical Conversion, Yan Zhang

Theses and Dissertations--Chemistry

Electrocatalysis is key to both sensitive electrochemical sensing and efficient electrochemical energy conversion. Despite high catalytic activity, traditional metal catalysts have poor stability, low selectivity, and high cost. Metal-free, carbon-based materials are emerging as alternatives to metal-based catalysts because of their attractive features including natural abundance, environmental friendliness, high electrical conductivity, and large surface area. Altering surface functionalities and heteroatom doping are effective ways to promote catalytic performance of carbon-based catalysts. The first chapter of this dissertation focuses on developing electrode modification methods for electrochemical sensing of biomolecules. After electrochemical pretreatment, glassy carbon demonstrates impressive figures-of-merit in detecting small, redox-active …

Influence Of Substrate Stage Temperature And Rotation Rate On The Magneto-Optical Quality Of Rf-Sputtered Bi2.1dy0.9fe3.9ga1.1o12 Garnet Thin Films, Mohammad E. Alam, Mikhail Vasiliev, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Highly bismuth-substituted iron garnet thin films are prepared on quartz substrates by using a radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. We study the factors (process parameters associated with the RF magnetron sputter deposition technique) affecting the magneto-optical (MO) properties of ferrite garnet films of composition Bi2.1Dy0.9Fe3.9Ga1.1O12. All films show high MO response across the visible range of wavelengths after being annealed. In particular, the effects of substrate stage temperature and rotation rate on the various properties of films are studied. Experimental results reveal that the characteristics of garnet films of this type can be tuned and optimized for use in …

คาร์บอนรูพรุนจากเปลือกข้าวโพดเป็นวัสดุแคโทดสำหรับแบตเตอรี่ไอออนอะลูมิเนียมประจุไฟซ้ำได้, กัณทิมา ขำศรีทรง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

ในปัจจุบันแบตเตอรี่ไอออนอะลูมิเนียมซึ่งอัดประจุซ้ำได้ ได้รับความสนใจมากขึ้นเนื่องจากแบตเตอรี่ชนิดนี้มีต้นทุนต่ำ อัตราการคาย/อัดประจุสูง และปลอดภัย แบตเตอรี่ประเภทนี้ใช้ขั้วแอโนดอะลูมิเนียมซึ่งต้นทุนต่ำและใช้วัสดุคาร์บอนในกลุ่มกราไฟต์เป็นขั้วแคโทดแบบแทรกตัว โดยกราไฟต์ธรรมชาติเป็นขั้วแคโทดซึ่งให้สมรรถนะสูง แม้ว่ากราไฟต์ธรรมชาติจะราคาต่ำแต่กราไฟต์ธรรมชาติเป็นทรัพยากรที่ไม่สามารถทดแทนได้ การสังเคราะห์วัสดุคาร์บอนกราไฟต์ซึ่งมีรูพรุนจากการคาร์บอไนซ์ชีวมวลจึงมีศักยภาพสูงในการนำมาใช้เป็นวัสดุแคโทดทางเลือก ในงานวิจัยนี้เปลือกข้าวโพดถูกใช้เพื่อเตรียมวัสดุคาร์บอนรูพรุนโดยกระบวนการคาร์บอไนซ์ในบรรยากาศไนโตรเจนที่อุณหภูมิ 550-850 องศาเซลเซียส ด้วยตัวเร่งปฏิกิริยาเฟอร์ริกไนเตรต ในที่นี้การจำแนกสมบัติของคาร์บอนรูพรุนที่ได้แสดงให้เห็นกราไฟต์ที่มีรูพรุนในช่วงมีโซพอร์และไมโครพอร์ ซึ่งวัสดุดังกล่าวสามารถใช้เป็นวัสดุเจ้าภาพสำหรับแบตเตอรี่ไอออนอะลูมิเนียมได้ นอกจากนั้นผลการวิจัยแสดงให้เห็นว่าวัสดุคาร์บอนที่มีโครงสร้างที่มีความพรุนขนาดเล็กและขนาดกลางนั้นส่งผลกระทบต่อการถ่ายโอนไอออน วัสดุคาร์บอนที่มีรูพรุนถูกใช้เป็นวัสดุแคโทดและประยุกต์ใช้ในเซลล์แบตเตอรี่ CR2032 แบตเตอรี่ซึ่งใช้วัสดุคาร์บอนซึ่งเตรียมจากเปลือกข้าวโพดแสดงความจุไฟฟ้าจำเพาะสูงสุด 52 มิลลิแอมป์ชั่วโมงต่อกรัมกราไฟต์ที่ความหนาแน่นกระแส 50 มิลลิแอมป์ต่อกรัมกราไฟต์ ในขณะที่แบตเตอรี่ซึ่งใช้กราไฟต์เชิงการค้าแสดงความจุไฟฟ้าจำเพาะสูงสุด 65 มิลลิแอมป์ชั่วโมงต่อกรัม กราไฟต์ที่ความหนาแน่นกระแสเดียวกันและที่อุณหภูมิ 25-30 องศาเซลเซียส

Effectiveness Of Ammonium Ion In Low Salinity Waterflooding In Shaly-Sandstone Reservoir, Hung Vu Quoc

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this study was presented the pre-feasibility study of silica sand processing plant in Sihanoukville province. The resources approximately 8,750,000 tons, would be a high potential deposit for the glass industry. In this study focuses on the characteristics of the silica sand, methodology to remove the impurities which contained high Fe2O3, Al2O3 and another major oxide element, and economic evaluation technique. To identification of silica sand which used sieve analysis, Frantz isodynamic magnetic separator following by electrical microscope, XRD, and XRF. Therefore, to upgrade the quality of silica sand, which is using Shaking Table, Wet High-Intensity Magnetic Separator, and Reverse …

The Combined Material Flow Analysis And Life Cycle Assessment For Integrated End-Of-Life Of Mercury Contaminated Petroleum Waste Management, Putthita Chongchongprasert

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Now a day, the waste management generated by offshore petroleum operation (including drilling and production) located in the Gulf of Thailand seem to be a great challenge. Because of their unique characteristic in terms of hazardous properties, petroleum waste requires particular treatments to reduce potential impacts to the environment and human life. This study, the petroleum waste by their disposal code, and waste code was sorted. The Hg-contaminated petroleum waste flow starting from waste generation towards to final disposal was conducted by Material Flow Analysis (STAN, 2.6.601) and Life Cycle Assessment (SimaPro 8.3.0.0) was conducted as tools for evaluating the …

Co2 Reforming Of Methane On Ni And Co Containing Γ-Al2o3/Hy Zeolite Supported Catalysts, Anchittha Liu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The carbon dioxide reforming of methane is one of the most effective processes to produce syngas while reducing greenhouse gases. In this study, the catalytic activity and coke resistance were studied on the Ni-based catalysts with or without Co (10%wt) over γ-Al2O3-HY zeolite support. Such catalysts were prepared by the sol-gel method with various different metal loadings and Co/Ni ratio. The activity tests on the carbon dioxide reforming reaction were performed in a fixed-bed reactor with the CH4:CO2 feed volume ratio of 1:1 under atmospheric pressure at 700°C which is the best temperature for the catalysts activity. It has been …

Preparation Of Carbon/Carbon Composite Xerogels From Resorcinol-Formaldehyde And Cotton Fiber For Electric Double Layer Capacitor, Kasawan Sirichan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research used carbon/carbon composite xerogels as an electrode for EDLCs. Cotton fibers were blended with polymer gel which was synthesized through polycondensation between resorcinol and formaldehyde. The reaction was catalyzed by Na2CO3 with distilled water as a solvent. Resorcinol-formaldehyde sol was poured into a vial containing cotton fibers. After gelation at room temperature and curing at 90 oC for a week, the resulting porous monolith was sliced into thin wafers. Then, the composite wafers were exchanged with tert-butyl alcohol, dried by vacuum drying and performed by pyrolysis at a various temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere, respectively. Effect of %cotton …

Parametric Study Of Copper Zinc Tin Sulfide Thin Films By Convective Deposition Method, Thanawat Anantamongkolchai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Nowadays, most of the energy production is from fossil fuel-resources, which is a major source of greenhouse gases. Therefore, several researchers have been looking for the alternative energy that is clean and renewable energy. One of the outstanding alternatives is to utilize solar energy for conversion into electricity. Recently, CZTS (copper zinc tin sulfide, Cu2ZnSnS4) thin film solar cells have received numerous interest because of its decent energy band gap of about 1.4 - 1.6 eV, which matches with the solar spectrum, and its high absorption coefficient. Nevertheless, the manufacture of CZTS solar cells has used sophisticated methods for fabrication …

Data Analysis Of Low-Salinity Waterflooding To Enhance The Oil Recovery In Sandstone Reservoirs, Nadia Ariani

Masters Theses

"The lack of a single reasonable general mechanism to describe how low-salinity waterflooding can improve oil recovery in both laboratory and field pilot projects has increased the interests of many researchers and stakeholders. There has not been observed the relationship of formation brine salinity and injected brine salinity to see how much salinity is reduced to produce the maximum enhanced oil recovery by LSWF. There is no guidance in what EOR stage the LSWF is best implemented. This work collects data from various published literature to develop a comprehensive data set regarding low-salinity waterflooding in sandstone reservoirs. The LSWF mechanisms …

An Integrated Method For Understanding The Fluid Flow Behavior And Forecasting Well Deliverability In Gas Condensate Reservoirs With Water Aquifer Drive, Abdulaziz Mustafa Em. Ellafi

Masters Theses

"Gas condensate reservoirs constitute a significant portion of global hydrocarbon reserves. In these reservoirs, as bottomhole pressure falls below the dew point, liquid develops in the pore space. This results in the formation of a liquid bank near the wellbore region that decreases gas mobility, which then reduces gas inflow. Some gas condensate reservoirs have bottom aquifer drive, which also negatively impacts gas production. This research used a field case study to demonstrate an integrated workflow for forecasting well deliverability in a gas condensate field in Libya. The workflow began with the interpretation of open-hole log data to identify the …

Proppant Transport With Varying Injection Points And Its Impact On Proppant Development Inside A Fracture, Shail Janakbhai Soni

Masters Theses

"This study presents experimental work which examines the effect of perforation placement and density on proppant placement within a hydraulic fracture. The study also investigates the effect of proppant angularity.

Experiments were conducted with ceramic proppant injected in a fracture slot model consisting of three injection points at the bottom, middle and top of the fracture slot, and two outlets, at the bottom and top of the fracture model. The effect of single point injection height was investigated by injecting solely at the bottom, middle or top of the apparatus, for both bottom and top outlet conditions. Multiple injection points …

Targeting Metastatic Breast Cancer With Statin Drugs And Coq10, Jacob Thrasher

Honors Theses

Statin drugs are commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol levels in patients, but recently statins have been under investigation as a potential anti-cancer drug. Statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and subsequently inhibit the mevalonate pathway and cholesterol synthesis. Since cholesterol trafficking is vital in the growth and metastasis of cancer, statin drugs are being studied to explore their effects on cancer cells. CoQ10, one of the products from the mevalonate pathway, also has shown some potential anti-cancer properties, but its use to combat cancer is controversial. While some studies have shown that CoQ10 supplements can be synergistic with other cancer treatment …

Cm-Dii And Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cell Responses To Chemotherapeutic Agents, Ashten M.C. Anderson

Honors Theses

CM-DiI is a lipophilic, red fluorescent dye used for staining and tracking the migration of cells. CM-DiI makes it possible to visualize cells in histological regions and can therefore be very useful for the tracking of cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo. The ability to track and quantitate cancer cell proliferation in vivo is essential for cancer drug discovery. If CM-DiI labeled cancer cells respond to chemotherapy agents similar to unlabeled cancer cells, it facilitates screening of potential anti-cancer compounds using CM-DiI labeled cells in a xenotransplanted, transgenic zebrafish model (Danio rerio). To investigate whether CM-DiI labeling would affect …

The Development And Optimization Of An Ethylbenzene Process, Aynslie Fritz

Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to optimize a pre-existing vapor phase ethylbenzene process, and to develop a base case liquid phase ethylbenzene process. A brief introduction is included to present an overview of process optimization and suggest common strategies to employ. While optimizing the vapor phase process, discrete optimization was performed to determine the local optima for multiple unit operations by comparing their net present value to that of the base case. After optimization, an $81.5 million increase in net present value was obtained. When developing the liquid phase ethylbenzene process, Antoine's Equation, Raoult's Law, the first law of …

Imidazolium Magnetic Ionic Liquid Solubilities In Water, Ward Toler

Honors Theses

Magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) are room temperature ionic liquids that exhibit paramagnetic behavior. These liquids have tunable physiochemical properties with proposed applications in separations and drug delivery. It is, therefore, useful to know the solubility and micellar behavior of MILs in aqueous environments. Our group synthesized MILs with a FeCl4 anion and 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium cations and investigated aqueous solubility vs alkyl size (C2 through C10). We measured water solubility (MIL content in water saturated with the MIL) using UV-Vis spectroscopy, total organic carbon (TOC) analysis, and Total Nitrogen (TN) analysis. After observing micellar behavior for C(n)mim[FeCl4], where n > 6, we investigated …

Soybeans To Chemicals: A Case Study For Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Education, Kaitlyn Myers

Honors Theses

The aim of this thesis is to develop a case study to reinforce the concepts that are required knowledge for chemical engineers in their sophomore year of curriculum, continuing through all of their education. The process that will be examined is the production of soybean oil, protein powder, and succinic acid from the harvest of soybeans. Further, this process will be used to align with the objectives of the chapters from the required textbook for the material balances class. The soybean industry is one of the largest in the United States agricultural sector, so it is an important real-world example …