Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Improving Thermodynamic Consistency Among Vapor Pressure, Heat Of Vaporization, And Liquid And Ideal Gas Heat Capacities, Joseph Wallace Hogge

Theses and Dissertations

Vapor pressure (P_vap), heat of vaporization (ΔH_vap), liquid heat capacity (C_p^l), and ideal gas heat capacity (C_p^ig) are important properties for process design and optimization. This work focuses on improving the thermodynamic consistency and accuracy of the aforementioned properties since these can drastically affect the reliability, safety, and profitability of chemical processes. They can be measured for pure organic compounds from the triple point, through the normal boiling point, and up to the critical point. Additionally, ΔH_vap is proportional to the derivative of vapor …

Combined Model Predictive Control And Scheduling With Dominant Time Constant Compensation, Logan Beal, Junho Park, Damon Petersen, Sean C. Warnick, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

Linear model predictive control is extended to both control and optimize a product grade schedule. The proposed methods are time-scaling of the linear dynamics based on throughput rates and grade-based objectives for product scheduling based on a mathematical program with complementarity constraints. The linear model is adjusted with a residence time approximation to time-scale the dynamics based on throughput. Although nonlinear models directly account for changing dynamics, the model form is restricted to linear differential equations to enable fast online cycle times for large-scale and real-time systems. This method of extending a linear time-invariant model for scheduling is designed for …

Cell-Free Synthesis Of Proteins With Unnatural Amino Acids: Exploring Fitness Landscapes, Engineering Membrane Proteins And Expanding The Genetic Code, Song Min Schinn

Theses and Dissertations

Unnatural amino acids (uAA) expand the structural and functional possibilities of proteins. Numerous previous studies have demonstrated uAA as a powerful tool for protein engineering, but challenges also remain. Three notable such challenges include: (1) the fitness of uAA-incorporated proteins are difficult to predict and time-consuming to screen with conventional methods, (2) uAA incorporation in difficult-to-express proteins (e.g. membrane proteins such as G-protein coupled receptors) remain challenging, and (3) the incorporation of multiple types of uAA are still limited. In response, we pose cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS), a rapid and versatile in vitro expression system, as a platform to explore …

A Comprehensive Coal Conversion Model Extended To Oxy-Coal Conditions, Troy Michael Holland

Theses and Dissertations

CFD simulations are valuable tools in evaluating and deploying oxy-fuel and other carbon capture technologies either as retrofit technologies or for new construction. However, accurate predictive simulations require physically realistic submodels with low computational requirements. In particular, comprehensive char oxidation and gasification models have been developed that describe multiple reaction and diffusion processes. This work extends a comprehensive char conversion code (the Carbon Conversion Kinetics or CCK model), which treats surface oxidation and gasification reactions as well as processes such as film diffusion, pore diffusion, ash encapsulation, and annealing. In this work, the CCK model was thoroughly investigated with a …

Particle Deposition Behavior From Coal-Derived Syngas In Gas Turbines At Modern Turbine Inlet Temperatures, Robert Laycock

Theses and Dissertations

Certain types of fuel used for combustion in land-based gas turbines can contain traces of ash when introduced into a gas turbine. Examples include synfuel, from the gasification of coal, and heavy fuel oil. When these ash particles travel through the hot gas path of the gas turbine they can deposit on turbine vanes and blades. As deposits grow, they can reduce turbine efficiency and damage turbine hardware. As turbine inlet temperatures increase, ash deposition rates increase as well.Experiments were conducted in the Turbine Accelerated Deposition Facility (TADF) at Brigham Young University to better understand ash deposition behavior at modern …

Multiple Ngf Treatments Enhance Regeneration In Peripheral Nerves, Keaton Karlinsey, Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project is to develop an effective treatment for damaged nerves. A team led by Dr. Cook has been working in this area for several years. Their project used a combination of biochemical treatments on rats with damaged sciatic nerves to improve the rate and quality of regeneration. The team is comparing the recovery of the nerves through a treatment receiving a combination of Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) with a treatment receiving only NGF and with a control that receives no treatment. LPC has been shown to upregulate the trkA receptor for NGF, thus …

Bioreactor Design For Viable Recellularization Of Whole Porcine Kidney, Kennedy Wandelt, Dr. Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Kidney failure affects tens of thousands of individuals annually causing many to rely on dialysis to replace this organ’s function. Most of these individuals are on a waiting list to receive a transplant for years, and unfortunately many die before they are able to reach the top of the list. The bodies of those who do receive kidneys often reject the organs. This rejection can have devastating defects, including mortality. In an effort to change this ongoing cycle we have been researching the idea of creating organs synthesized with the DNA of each specific patient. The process would significantly increase …

Multi-Fidelity Model Predictive Control Of Upstream Energy Production Processes, Ammon Nephi Eaton

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing worldwide demand for petroleum motivates greater efficiency, safety, and environmental responsibility in upstream oil and gas processes. The objective of this research is to improve these areas with advanced control methods. This work develops the integration of optimal control methods including model predictive control, moving horizon estimation, high fidelity simulators, and switched control techniques applied to subsea riser slugging and managed pressure drilling. A subsea riser slugging model predictive controller eliminates persistent offset and decreases settling time by 5% compared to a traditional PID controller. A sensitivity analysis shows the effect of riser base pressure sensor location on controller …

Metallization Of Self-Assembled Dna Templates For Electronic Circuit Fabrication, Bibek Uprety

Theses and Dissertations

This work examines the deposition of metallic and semiconductor elements onto self-assembled DNA templates for the fabrication of nanodevices. Biological molecules like DNA can self-assemble into a variety of complex 2-D and 3-D architectures without the need for expensive patterning tools. In addition, self-assembled DNA templates can be designed to controllably place functional nanomaterials with molecular precision. These characteristics make DNA an attractive template for fabricating electronic circuits from biological molecules. However, electrically conductive structures are required for electronic applications. While metallized DNA nanostructures have been demonstrated, the ability to make thin, continuous wires that are electrically conductive still represents …

The Effects Of Tether Placement On Antibody Stability On Surfaces, Thomas A. Knotts, Rebecca W. Grawe

Faculty Publications

Despite their potential benefits, antibody microarrays have fallen short of performing reliably and have not found widespread use outside of the research setting. Experimental techniques have been unable to determine what is occurring on the surface of an atomic level, so molecular simulation has emerged as the primary method of investigating protein/surface interactions. Simulations of small proteins have indicated that the stability of the protein is a function of the residue on the protein where a tether is placed. The purpose of this research is to see whether these findings also apply to antibodies, with their greater size and complexity. …

Cell Attachment To Alginate Hydrogel Structures, Sarah Livingston, Dr. Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

One of the most pressing needs within the medical community is the demand for transplantable organs. On average, 22 people per day on average die waiting for a transplant. Even if a patient receives an organ, the risks associated with the transplant are high, from the immunosuppressant drugs required to the risk of Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). If organs could be engineered using a patient’s own cellular material, transplants could take place without the risk of GvHD or the need for immunosuppressants. One of the keys to creating any organ is first building a vascular network that could provide vital nutrients …

A Solution To The Problems Of Heart Transpantation, Jeremy Struk, Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Ischemic Heart disease, according to the World Health Organization, is the leading cause of death in the USA and abroad.1 As a result of the high incidence of the disease and low transplant availability, the field of tissue engineering offers a promising solution. With the new developments in the field, many exciting treatments are available to help stem the tide of the disease, however; there is still a great need for more viable heart replacements to help patients with end stage heart failure. Tissue engineering offers the solution of creating hearts for patients in need that are constructed using the …

Re-Epithelialization Of Whole Porcine Kidney Scaffold, Evan M. Buckmiller, Alonzo D. Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

An estimated 20 million adults (approximately 10% of all individuals over the age of 18) in the United States suffer from some level of chronic kidney disease (CKD), making CKD the 9th leading cause of death in the United States (1). The only successful treatment for end-stage renal failure is transplantation from a donor with similar blood antigen makeup, while living the remainder of their lives receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Unfortunately, individuals awaiting a kidney transplant outnumber viable donations. Scientists have been tasked with discovering and developing methods to answer this growing need. One promising method is the decellularization of porcine …

Continuous Ethanol Production From Synthesis Gas By Clostridium Ragsdalei In A Trickle-Bed Reactor, Mamatha Devarapalli, Randy S. Lewis, Hasan K. Atiyeh

Faculty Publications

A trickle-bed reactor (TBR) when operated in a trickle flow regime reduces liquid resistance to mass transfer because a very thin liquid film is in contact with the gas phase and results in improved gas–liquid mass transfer compared to continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTRs). In the present study, continuous syngas fermentation was performed in a 1-L TBR for ethanol production by Clostridium ragsdalei. The effects of dilution and gas flow rates on product formation, productivity, gas uptakes and conversion efficiencies were examined. Results showed that CO and H2 conversion efficiencies reached over 90% when the gas flow rate was maintained …

Uncertainty Quantification And Propagation Of Errors Of The Lennard-Jones 12-6 Parameters For N-Alkanes, Richard A. Messerly, Thomas A. Knotts Iv, W Vincent Wilding

Faculty Publications

Molecular simulation has the ability to predict various physical properties that are difficult to obtain experimentally. For example, we implement molecular simulation to predict the critical constants (i.e., critical temperature, critical density, critical pressure, and critical compressibility factor) for large n-alkanes that thermally decompose experimentally (as large as C₄₈). Historically, molecular simulation has been viewed as a tool that is limited to providing qualitative insight. One key reason for this perceived weakness in molecular simulation is the difficulty to quantify the uncertainty in the results. This is because molecular simulations have many sources of uncertainty that propagate …

Preliminary Study Of Optimization Of Normal Pulse Voltammetry For Actinide Measurement In Molten Salt Electrorefiners Using Licl-Kcl-Ucl3-Mgcl2 As A Surrogate Salt, Chao Zhang, Devin Rappleye, Michael Simpson

Faculty Publications

Normal pulse voltammetry has been applied and optimized to develop correlations between diffusional current and concentration for UCl₃ and MgCl₂ in molten eutectic LiCl-KCl. This method was selected to mitigate working electrode area growth in concentrated molten salt mixtures in which a fairly wide potential range is needed to analyze all actinides. MgCl₂ has been selected as a surrogate for PuCl₃ based on similar standard reduction potential. Diffusional current plateaus were successfully attained by adjusting the step size to 0.03 V. Relaxation time of 15 seconds was found to be sufficient to recover after each pulse. …

Thermally Stable Support For Improved Synthetic Fuel Catalysts, Mark Lindsay, Dr. William Hecker, Dr. Morris Argyle

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis (FTS) has attracted interest recently as large natural gas deposits have been discovered across the globe. FTS is a gas-to-liquid technology that produces fuels with far fewer sulfur or nitrogen impurities, making it an attractive cleaner alternative to petroleum fuels[1]. Cobalt is the preferred catalyst for FTS[2], but it must be supported to achieve optimal performance. Alumina and silica have been used independently as colbalt FTS supports[3-4], and in mixtures as supports for other processes, but mixed silica-alumina supports have not been studied for FTS applications[5]. The BYU Catalysis Lab has discovered a silica-alumina support (AlSi) with high …

Insulin, Glucose, And Β-Cell Diffusion Analysis, Matthew Usevitch, Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project is to further understand the function of extruded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes in the pursuit of creating an implantable, removable pancreas device. This device would be filled with pancreas cells and automatically regulate blood sugar for patients with diabetes. Dr. Alonzo Cook’s lab is currently pursuing understanding the process of taking a patient’s own cells, reprogramming them into stem cells, and then differentiating them into pancreas cells. The device that is the end goal of this project is the main foreseen use of these differentiated pancreas cells. This project focuses on studying how essential nutrients diffuse …

Differentiation Of Ipscs Into Cardiomyocytes Utilizing Extracellular Matrix, Arthur Castleton, Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to the American Heart Association, Ischemic heart disease is the principal cause of death. Many potential therapies are being simultaneously explored and among the most promising is tissue engineering of cardiac scaffolds. In vitro culturing of mature cardiomyocytes has the potential to lay the foundation for products such as cardiac patches for treatment of early stages of Ischemic heart disease or atrial septal defects, and developing entire replacement hearts. However, cardiomyocyte cell culture and experimentation has encountered various difficulties; the inability to proliferate, incomplete maturation, and having a small window of functional contraction. Conversely, iPSCs can partially differentiate into …

Pluripotent Stem Cell (Ipsc) Differentiation To Kidney Phenotype With Conditioned Media Of Rctes, Angela Nakalembe, Dr. Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

According to the latest U.S. Renal Data System Annual Data Report, more than 660,000 Americans are currently being treated for kidney failure, also called end stage renal disease (ESRD). The current treatment options, dialysis and kidney transplants, work well in some instances but have disadvantages, such as the inability to perform hormone regulation and potential organ rejection respectively.

The overall aim of our work is to create bioengineered kidneys that will provide alternative solutions to the current treatment methods without any of the drawbacks. New breakthroughs in the biomedical world support the theory that organs can be grown from cultured …

Biosensor System For The Detection Of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals, Conner Earl, Bradley Bundy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) present problems worldwide and have been linked to cancer, developmental disorders, and other epigenetic complications. Many of these complications could be mitigated if not eradicated if these chemicals were better characterized and detectable, however an inexpensive, reliable and field deployable sensor for EDCs has yet to be developed. The purpose of this project was to explore the idea of an engineered Cell Free biosensor system that is an economic, viable method for the rapid detection of EDCs.

Portable Food & Water Sanitation By Means Of Energetic Photons, Jordan Argyle, Matthew Memmott

Journal of Undergraduate Research

At least 1 in 10 people across the globe do not have access to clean water.¹ The World Health Organization considers food and drink contamination to be “the most widespread health problem in the contemporary world.”² An estimated 600 million people fall ill from eating contaminated food or drinking contaminated water every year, of which nearly half a million die. Most of those illnesses are caused by pathogens rather than chemical contamination.³

Analysis Of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration, Jaron Lundwall, Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Due to accident-related neural damage, many people’s lives are impaired or limited in what they can do. Current medical practices are limited at helping distal and proximal nerve stubs regenerate. Many recent research studies have focused on trying to improve this problem by understanding how cut or crushed nerves heal. This study focused on helping these efforts by improving non-invasive analysis techniques of nerve growth. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is one possible solution to creating a reliable analysis technique that in the future could be used on humans. We have shown that Magnetic Resonance Imaging can be used without invasive …

Characterization Of Polyester Polymer Concrete Material Properties, Robert Stevens, Dr. W. Spencer Guthrie

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to investigate selected material properties of polyester polymer concrete (PPC) using laboratory testing. PPC is a synthetic concrete that combines sand and coarse aggregate with a polyester resin binder that takes the place of conventional portland cement. PPC is commonly used as an overlay material on bridge decks. There is some ambiguity about several important mechanical properties of PPC, including coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), degree of hardening, and modulus of elasticity. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of temperature on these properties. The results of this research will help …

Integration Host Factor Stabilized Pcr- Amplified Dna For High-Throughput Protein Synthesis Subtitle, William Bradley, Bradley Bundy

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As the search continues for novel proteins with market-incentivized properties, the demand for tools to accelerate the identification of these proteins increases. This has led to investigating methods for screening proteins that yield faster results (high-throughput) with greater titers of protein stable enough for analysis (high yield).

Tissue Engineering: Cell-Seeded 3d Printed Vascular Graft, Tomonori Baba, Alonzo Cook

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of this project was to create and test a biocompatible modified alginate gel for 3D printing blood vessels to be used in vascular networks for tissue engineering and as vascular grafts. Vascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and more than $100 billion are spent annually for its treatment. Treatments for cardiovascular disease, such as synthetic blood vessels still have some problems with thrombosis and immune rejection. We propose to use the patient’s own cells to form replacement blood vessels, to reduce the risk of immune rejection and the endothelial cells will be …

The Use Of A Passive Endothermic Reactor Cooling System For Lwr Emergency Cooling, Joel Johnson, Dr. Matthew Memmott

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of the project was to test the viability and begin design on a passive endothermic reaction cooling system (PERCS). The idea behind PERCS is to improve the safety of and to avoid potential disasters resulting from accident conditions in nuclear reactors. To do this, a PERCS will be designed that can be simply integrated into current nuclear power plant systems. The PERCS concepts to date are completely passive; rather than requiring valve or operator actuation, the system initiates due to natural conditions in the reactor system.

Cytosolic Delivery Of Doxorubicin From Liposomes To Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells Via Vaporization Of Perfluorocarbon Droplets, Jacob B. Williams, Clara M. Buchanan, Ghaleb A. Husseini, William G. Pitt

Faculty Publications

A common mechanism of multidrug resistance is the upregulation of efflux pumps in the cancer cells that can more rapidly export unwanted materials (e.g. cancer drugs) out of the cell, compared to sensitive cancer cells. This research seeks to overcome this mechanism by vaporizing a perfluoropentane emulsion droplet inside of a drug-containing liposome (eLiposome) that was endocytosed into a cancer cell. Folate attached to the eLiposome facilitates uptake into the cell as observed by confocal microscopy. Ultrasound was examined as a trigger to initiate the vaporization of the perfluoropentane droplet and release doxorubicin from folated eLiposomes (feLD). Two seconds of …

Cytosolic Delivery Of Doxorubicin From Liposomes To Multidrug-Resistant Cancer Cells Via Vaporization Of Perfluorocarbon Droplets, Jacob B. Williams, Clara M. Buchanan, Ghaleb Husseini, William G. Pitt

Faculty Publications

A common mechanism of multidrug resistance is the upregulation of efflux pumps in the cancer cells that can more rapidly export unwanted materials (e.g. cancer drugs) out of the cell, compared to sensitive cancer cells. This research seeks to overcome this mechanism by vaporizing a perfluoropentane emulsion droplet inside of a drug-containing liposome (eLiposome) that was endocytosed into a cancer cell. Folate attached to the eLiposome facilitates uptake into the cell as observed by confocal microscopy. Ultrasound was examined as a trigger to initiate the vaporization of the perfluoropentane droplet and release doxorubicin from folated eLipsosomes (feLD). Two seconds of …

Potential Benefits Of Combining Anomaly Detection With View Planning For Uav Infrastructure Modeling, R. Abraham Martin, Landen Blackburn, Joshua Pulsipher, Kevin W. Franke, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a novel method for UAV-based 3D modeling of large infrastructure objects, such as pipelines, canals and levees, that combines anomaly detection with automatic on-board 3D view planning. The study begins by assuming that anomaly detections are possible and focuses on quantifying the potential benefits of the combined method and the view planning algorithm. A simulated canal environment is constructed, and several simulated anomalies are created and marked. The algorithm is used to plan inspection flights for the anomaly locations, and simulated images from the flights are rendered and processed to construct 3D models of the locations of …