Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Economic And Sustainability Aspects Of Chemical Process Industries By Thermodynamics Analysis, Mahdi H. Alhajji

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Economics and sustainability improvements of some chemical processes are assessed after the retrofits suggested by thermodynamic analysis and energy analyzer. The main objective is to explore the scope of reducing the energy consumption and CO₂ emissions for a more sustainable operation in chemical process industries. Thermodynamic analysis is carried out by applying the thermal analysis capability of ‘Column Targeting Tool’ to address the ‘energy intensity,’ and/or the ‘Energy Analyzer’ to design and improve the performance of the heat exchanger network system for process heat integration. CTT is based on the ‘Practical Near-Minimum Thermodynamic Condition’ representing a close to practical …

Comparison Of Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic And Direct Bonded Copper For Single Ended Primary Inductance Topology, Kristopher Cody Johnson

Electrical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This work examines the thermal dissipation characteristics of Low-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) and Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) with the implementation of a Single Ended Primary Inductance Converter (SEPIC) topology. The advantages and disadvantages of the two substrates will be explored in addition to a description of the design and control of the SEPIC. It will be shown that the DBC implementation is superior with regards to thermal dissipation, but that LTCC has advantages in high- density packaging, RF applications, and embedded components. These substrates and converters provide many advantages in industrial applications that include automotive and grid level implementations. Additional …

Characterization Of Nano-Porous Si-Cu Composites To Enhance Lubricant Retention Impacting The Tribological Properties Of Sliding Surfaces, Julius Sheldon Morehead

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As the expectations for modern machinery's tribological and thermal performances continue to rise, the retention of lubricant on the contact surfaces of their sliding components becomes an increasingly important issue. Friction and wear cause heat-related failures which lead to catastrophic damage to machinery. Evaporation of a lubricant's volatile constituents as well as lubricant migration leads not only to a reduction in lubricant quantity but also in its quality, thus facilitating component failures. In order to enhance component reliability, the surface should incorporate features that actively retain lubricants. The unique properties of nano-porous topographies such as their high surface area-to-volume ratio …

Thermal Invisibility Based On Scattering Cancellation And Mantle Cloaking, M Farhat, P.-Y. Chen, H Bagci, C. Amra, S Guenneau, A Alù

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research Publications

We theoretically and numerically analyze thermal invisibility based on the concept of scattering cancellation and mantle cloaking. We show that a small object can be made completely invisible to heat diffusion waves, by tailoring the heat conductivity of the spherical shell enclosing the object. This means that the thermal scattering from the object is suppressed, and the heat flow outside the object and the cloak made of these spherical shells behaves as if the object is not present. Thermal invisibility may open new vistas in hiding hot spots in infrared thermography, military furtivity, and electronics heating reduction.

Accidental Poison: Analysis Of 1,4-Butanediol In A Popular Children's Arts And Crafts Toy, Christopher R. Dockery, John H. Shugart, Jonathan D. Parker, William J. Lawson

Faculty Articles

A popular children's arts and crafts toy made international headlines when it was discovered that 1,4-butanediol had been substituted into some of its formulations. The chemical 1,4-butanediol rapidly converts to the date-rape drug g-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) upon ingestion and resulted in the accidental poisoning of some children. In this experiment, students extract 1,4-butanediol from commercially available toy beads (or prepared simulations) using their knowledge of pharmaceutical chemistry, solubility, etc. Using case studies available in the literature, students develop a quantitative analysis experiment for 1,4-butanediol extracted from the toy beads and, through approximation, relate the extractable amount of 1,4-butanediol to dose-response …

Sustainability And Economic Analysis Of Propylene Carbonate And Polypropylene Carbonate Production Processes Using Co2 And Propylene Oxide, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Currently, the industrially important polycarbonates are synthesized from bisphenol A and diphenyl carbonate, which are highly toxic and hence other feasible alternatives are preferable. Following the considerable advances on the catalyst for the synthesis of carbonates from CO₂ and propylene oxide (PO), industrial scale processes for the productions of propylene carbonate (PC) and polypropylene carbonate (PPC) have been designed and simulated with sustainability and economic analyses. The CO₂ is supplied by a nearby bioethanol plant, while the PO from a petrochemical process. The first part of the study is for the production of 200 million lb/year cyclic PC …

Technoeconomics And Sustainability Of Renewable Methanol And Ammonia Productions Using Wind Power-Based Hydrogen, Michael J. Matzen, Mahdi H. Alhajji, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

This study analyzes and compares the economics and sustainability aspects of two hydrogenation processes for producing renewable methanol and ammonia by using wind-power based electrolytic hydrogen. Carbon dioxide from an ethanol plant is used for producing methanol, while the nitrogen is supplied by an Air Separation Unit (ASU) for producing ammonia. The capacities are 99.96 mt/day methanol and 1202.55 mt/day anhydrous ammonia. The methanol plant requires 138.37 mt CO₂/day and 19.08 mt H₂/day. The ammonia is synthesized by using 217.72 mt H₂/day and 1009.15 mt N₂/day. The production costs and the carbon …

Modeling Of Spallation Phenomenon In An Arc-Jet Environment, Raghava Sai Chaitanya Davuluri

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Space vehicles, while entering the planetary atmosphere, experience high loads of heat. Ablative materials are commonly used for a thermal protection system, which undergo mass removal mechanisms to counter the heat rates. Spallation is one of the ablative processes, which is characterized by the ejection of solid particles from the material into the flow. Numerical codes that are used in designing the heat shields ignore this phenomenon. Hence, to evaluate the effectiveness of spallation phenomenon, a numerical model is developed to compute the dynamics and chemistry of the particles. The code is one-way coupled to a CFD code that models …

Evaporation-Induced Formation Of Well-Ordered Surface Patterns On Polymer Films, Wei Sun

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

Various techniques of fabricating surface patterns of small scales have been widely studied due to the potential applications of surface patterns in a variety of areas. It is a challenge to fabricate well-ordered surface area efficiently and economically. Evaporation-induced surface patterning is a promising approach to fabricate well-ordered surface patterns over a large area at low cost. In this study, the evaporation-induced surface patterns with controllable geometrical characteristics have been constructed. The dewetting kinetics on deformable substrate is also investigated.

Using simple templates to control the geometry and the evaporation behavior of a droplet of volatile solvent, various gradient surface …

Measurements And Modeling Of Hydrocarbon Mixture Fluid Properties Under Extreme Temperature And Pressure Conditions, Babatunde A. Bamgbade

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge of thermodynamic fluid properties, such as density and phase behavior, is important for the design, operation, and safety of several processes including drilling, extraction, transportation, and separation that are required in the petroleum. The knowledge is even more critical at extreme temperature and pressure conditions as the search for more crude oil reserves lead to harsher conditions. Currently, there is dearth of experimental data at these conditions and as such, the predictive capability of the existing modeling tools are unproven. The objective of this research is to develop a fundamental understanding of the impact of molecular architecture on fluid …

Energy Intensity And Environmental Impact Metrics Of The Back-End Separation Of Ethylene Plant By Thermodynamic Analysis, Mahdi H. Alhajji, Yaşar Demirel

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

This study presents metrics of energy intensity and environmental impact of the back-end separation of ethylene plant consisting three interacting distillation columns by thermodynamic analysis. The objective is to explore the scope of reducing the energy for utilities and CO₂ emissions. Thermodynamic analysis is carried out using the column targeting tool (CTT) to address the sustainability metrics of ‘Energy Intensity.’ CTT is based on the ‘Practical Near-Minimum Thermodynamic Condition’ representing a close to practical reversible column operation. Environmental impact metrics are estimated from the carbon tracking options. The carbon tracking are estimated by the CO₂ emission data source …

Process Simulation Of Biomass Gasification Integrated With A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Articles

Biomass gasification-solid oxide fuel cell (BG-SOFC) combined heat and power (CHP) systems are of major interest in the context of climate change mitigation, energy security and increasing energy efficiency. Aspen Plus is employed to simulate various BG-SOFC CHP systems. The aim of the research work is to investigate the technical feasibility of these systems and to study the influence of important operating parameters and examine integration options. Systems based on dual fluidised bed steam gasification and tubular SOFC technologies are modelled. The cathode recycle and electric heater integration options are not attractive in comparison to the base case anode recycle …

Growth And Properties Of Carbon Microcoils And Nanocoils, Muneaki Hikita, Robyn Bradford, Khalid Lafdi

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Various types of coiled carbon filaments have been synthesized using chemical vapor deposition and other methods. These carbon filaments exhibit unique electrical and mechanical properties due to their versatile shapes and structures. To form coiled shapes, different types of catalyst compositions and reactive gases have been explored. Generally, coiled carbon filaments are classified by coil diameter and shape (e.g., microcoil and nanocoil). In this review, coiled carbon filaments are classified into three growth mechanism categories:

(1) bidirectional double helical growth;

(2) bidirectional twisted growth; and

(3) tip single helical or twisted growth.

Next, their synthesis methods and hypothetical growth mechanisms …

Slow Release Of Ions From Internalized Silver Nanoparticles Modifies The Epidermal Growth Factor Signaling Response, Kristen K. Comfort, Elizabeth I. Maurer, Saber M. Hussain

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Due to their distinctive physiochemical properties, including a robust antibacterial activity and plasmonic capability, hundreds of consumer and medical products contain colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). However, even at sub-toxic dosages, AgNPs are able to disrupt cell functionality, through a yet unknown mechanism. Moreover, internalized AgNPs have the potential to prolong this disruption, even after the removal of excess particles. In the present study, we evaluated the impact, mechanism of action, and continual effects of 50 nm AgNP exposure on epidermal growth factor (EGF) signal transduction within a human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell line. After AgNP expose, EGF signaling was initially obstructed …

Balloon Diameter Measurement And Altitude Determination Through Gas And Thermal Properties, Geoff Suiter

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Does A Plastron Improve Heat Transfer?, Madani A. Khan, Jeffrey Alston, Andrew Guenthner

STAR Program Research Presentations

Superamphiphobic surfaces strongly repel both water and oils. In this work, aluminum coupons are processed by sanding with various grit of sand paper to impart microscale roughness. Subsequent submersion of the aluminum substrate in boiling water grows nanoscale grass-like structures. The oxide layer of Al is slightly soluble in water. During a fast diffusion/equilibrium, Al₂O₃ nanograss grows on the surface. A low energy coating is then deposited on the surface. The micro and nanoscale features create re-entrant structures that trap air enabling contact liquid to be in a Cassie-Baxter state. Superamphiphobicity of the samples were confirmed by …

A Soft Condensed Matter Approach Towards Mathematical Modelling Of Mass Transport And Swelling In Food Grains, Michael Chapwanya, N. Misra

Articles

Soft condensed matter (SCM) physics has recently gained importance for a large class of engineering materials. The treatment of food materials from a soft matter perspective, however, is only at the surface and is gaining importance for understanding the complex phenomena and structure of foods. In this work, we present a theoretical treatment of navy beans from a SCM perspective to describe the hydration kinetics. We solve the transport equations within a porous matrix and employ the Flory–Huggin’s equation for polymer–solvent mixture to balance the osmotic pressure. The swelling of the legume seed is modelled as a moving boundary with …

Mixed Surfactant Systems: Thermodynamics And Applications In Metal Oxide Imprinting, Suvid Joshi

Theses and Dissertations--Chemical and Materials Engineering

In this work we study mixtures of cationic surfactant (CTAB) and sugar based surfactant(s) (octyl beta-D-glucopyranoside (C8G1), dodecyl maltoside (C12G2) and octyl beta-D-xylopyranoside (C8X1)) to understand the non-ideal thermodynamic behavior of the mixtures of cationic and non-ionic surfactants in water and synthesis of imprinted materials. The thermodynamics of micellization, mixing and dilution of these systems are studied using Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) and the experimental data obtained are modeled with a pseudo-phase separation model with non-ideal mixing described by regular solution theory. It is shown that a model accounting for enthalpy of demicellization and enthalpy of dilution based on McMillan-Mayer …

Development Of Cementitious Materials For Adhesion Type Applications Comprising Calcium Sulfoaluminate (Csa) Cement And Latex Polymer, Joshua V. Brien

Theses and Dissertations--Civil Engineering

The objective of this research was to develop high performing polymer modified calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement materials for use in applications requiring superior adhesion characteristics. Little information is available describing interactions of CSA cement containing minor phase tri-calcium aluminate (C₃A) with commonly used admixtures. Given the scarcity of information, a basic approach for developing cementitious materials was followed. The basic approach consisted of four tasks: cement design, admixture design, polymer design and testing developed materials. The iterative, time consuming process is necessary for understanding the influence of specific constituent components on overall system behavior. Results from the cement …

Less Is More: Long-Term In Vitro Exposure To Low Levels Of Silver Nanoparticles Provides New Insights For Nanomaterial Evaluation, Kristen K. Comfort, Laura K. Braydich-Stolle, Elizabeth I. Maurer, Saber M. Hussain

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

In view of the vast number of new nanomaterials (NMs) that require testing and the constraints associated with animal models, the majority of studies to elucidate nanotoxicological effects have occurred in vitro, with limited correlation and applicability to in vivo systems and realistic, occupational exposure scenarios.

In this study, we developed and implemented a chronic in vitromodel coupled with lower, regulatory dosages in order to provide a more realistic assessment of NM-dependent consequences and illuminate the implications of long-term NM exposure. When keratinocytes were exposed to 50 nm silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), we determined that chronically dosed cells operated …

Modelling Of Biomass Gasification Integrated With A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System, Wayne Doherty

Doctoral

Biomass is of major interest as a renewable energy source in the context of climate change and energy security. Traditional biomass conversion technologies achieve low electrical efficiencies. Biomass gasification (BG) coupled with fuel cells offer higher efficiencies. Gasification is a process in which a carbonaceous fuel is converted to a combustible gas. It occurs when a controlled amount of oxidant is reacted at high temperatures with available carbon in a fuel within a gasifier. Two technologies (circulating fluidised bed air gasification and dual fluidised bed steam gasification) were modelled. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are well suited to integration with …

Information In Biological Systems And The Fluctuation Theorem, Yaşar Demirel

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Some critical trends in information theory, its role in living systems and utilization in fluctuation theory are discussed. The mutual information of thermodynamic coupling is incorporated into the generalized fluctuation theorem by using information theory and nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Thermodynamically coupled dissipative structures in living systems are capable of degrading more energy, and processing complex information through developmental and environmental constraints. The generalized fluctuation theorem can quantify the hysteresis observed in the amount of the irreversible work in nonequilibrium regimes in the presence of information and thermodynamic coupling.

Advanced Visualization Techniques Of Hot-Jet Combustion Of Lean And Ultra-Lean Substances, Timothy I. Machin, Li Qiao

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Research has been conducted on ignition of natural gas as a potential replacement for fossil fuels. A reason natural gas is not widely used and adapted is because of the harmful emissions created when combusted in rich mixtures, but if the gas can be burned at a lean or ultra-lean equivalence ratio, these emissions can be reduced or even eliminated. One method of burning lean and ultra-lean substances is by use of hot-jet ignition. This method ignites the substance near its combustion temperature, reducing the harmful emissions. This method is not yet fully understood, and so research must be done …

The Biological Impact Of Concurrent Exposure To Metallic Nanoparticles And A Static Magnetic Field, Kristen K. Comfort, Elizabeth I. Maurer, Saber M. Hussain

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The rapid advancement of technology has led to an exponential increase of both nanomaterial and magnetic field utilization in applications spanning a variety of sectors. While extensive work has focused on the impact of these two variables on biological systems independently, the existence of any synergistic effects following concurrent exposure has yet to be investigated. This study sought to ascertain the induced alterations to the stress and proliferation responses of the human adult low calcium, high temperature keratinocyte (HaCaT) cell line by the application of a static magnetic field (approximately 0.5 or 30 mT) in conjunction with either gold or …

Sustainable Operations For Distillation Columns, Yaşar Demirel

Yaşar Demirel Publications

Distillation process consumes about 40% of the total energy used to operate the plants in petrochemical and chemical process industries in North America. Therefore, sustainable distillation column operation requires responsible use of energy and reduction of harmful emission such as CO₂. The Aspen Plus ‘Column Targeting Tool’ (CTT) options in a simulation environment can help reduce the use of energy and hence CO₂ emission. The Aspen plus ‘Carbon Tracking’ (CT) together with the ‘Global Warming Potential’ options can quantify the reduction in CO₂ emission. The CTT is based on the practical near-minimum thermodynamic condition approximation and …

Aspen Plus Simulation Of Biomass Gasification In A Steam Blown Dual Fluidised Bed, Wayne Doherty, Anthony Reynolds, David Kennedy

Book/Book Chapters

The efficient utilisation of biomass resources is of utmost importance. Biomass gasification offers much higher efficiencies than combustion. Gasification is a process in which a fuel is converted to a combustible gas (syngas). A dual fluidised bed gasifier known as the fast internally circulating fluidised bed (FICFB) was selected. It has been demonstrated at industrial scale and data is readily available for model validation. An Aspen Plus model was developed to simulate the FICFB gasifier. The model is based on Gibbs free energy minimisation and the restricted equilibrium method was used to calibrate it. The model has been validated and …

Updates To A Sequence Of Thermodynamics Experiments For Mechanical Engineering Technology Students, Roger A. Beardsley

All Faculty Scholarship for the School of Graduate Studies and Research

This paper presents an outline of thermodynamics experiments and lab activities that accompany the introductory thermodynamics course for Mechanical Engineering Technology juniors at Central Washington University (CWU) in Ellensburg, Washington. It outlines and describes the current suite of thermodynamics lab activities, comparing the current suite of seven lab activities to a sequence outlined in an ASEE conference paper presented in 1995. Some lab activities in that paper have been replaced, while others have been updated. For example an experiment to measure the Joule-Thomson coefficient has been replaced with a First Law energy balance activity and the former First Law experiment …

Ramjet Combustion Chamber, Paul Cameron Stone

Aerospace Engineering

A ramjet combustion chamber is designed and some initial assembly fabrication and test completed as a component of a ramjet graduate project for California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The combustor design is driven by a theoretical model created by a Cal Poly graduate student, Harrison Sykes. Temperature, pressure, and fuel flow will be measured.

Note: A Simple Thermal Gradient Annealing Unit For The Treatment Of Thin Films, C. J. Metting, Johnathan K. Bunn, Ellen A. Underwood, Yihao Zhu, G. Koley, T. Crawford, Jason R. Hattrick-Simpers

Faculty Publications

A gradient annealing cell has been developed for the high-throughput study of thermalannealing effects on thin-film libraries in different environments. The inexpensive gradientannealing unit permits temperature gradients as large as 28 °C/mm and can accommodate samples ranging in length from 13 mm to 51 mm. The system was validated by investigating the effects of annealing temperature on the crystallinity, resistivity, and transparency of tin-doped indium oxide deposited on a glass substrate by magnetron sputtering. The unit developed in this work will permit the rapid optimization of materials properties such as crystallinity, homogeneity, and conductivity across a variety of applications.

Tannic Acid Coated Gold Nanorods Demonstrate A Distinctive Form Of Endosomal Uptake And Unique Distribution Within Cells, Emily A. Untener, Kristen K. Comfort, Elizabeth I. Maurer, Christin M. Grabinski, Donald A. Comfort, Saber M. Hussain

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

One of the primary challenges associated with nanoparticle-dependent biological applications is that endosomal entrapment in a physiological environment severely limits the desired targeting and functionality of the nanoconstructs. This study sought to overcome that challenge through a systematic approach of gold nanorod (GNR) functionalization: evaluating the influence of both aspect ratio and surface chemistry on targeted cellular internalization rates and preservation of particle integrity. Owing to their unique spectral properties and enhanced surface area, GNRs possess great potential for the advancement of nanobased delivery and imaging applications. However, their ability for efficient intracellular delivery while maintaining their specific physiochemical parameters …