Chemical Engineering Commons^™

Relative Rate Observer Self-Tuning Of Fuzzy Pid Virtual Inertia Control For An Islanded Microgrid, Ahmed H. Mohamed, Helmy M. El Zoghby, Mohiy Bahgat, A. M. Abdel Ghany

Future Engineering Journal

Expanding the usage of renewable energy in islanded microgrids leads to a reduction in its total inertia. Low inertia microgrids have difficulties in voltage and frequency control. That affected saving its stability and preventing a blackout. To improve low inertia islanded microgrids' dynamic response and save their stability, this paper presented relative rate observer self-tuning fuzzy PID (RROSTF-PID) based on virtual inertia control (VIC) for an islanded microgrid with a high renewable energy sources (RESs) contribution. RROSTF-PID based on VIC's success in showing remarkable improvement in the microgrid's dynamic response and enhancement of its stability. Moreover, it handles different contingency …

Cybersecurity And Dynamic Operation In Practice: Equipment Impacts And Safety Guarantees, Kip Nieman, Dominic Messina, Matthew Wegener, Helen Durand

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

Though dynamic operation of chemical processes has been extensively explored theoretically in contexts such as economic model predictive control or even considering the potential for cyberattacks on control systems creating non-standard operating policies, important practical questions remain regarding dynamic operation. In this work, we look at two of these with particular relevance to process safety: (1) evaluating dynamic operating policies with respect to process equipment fidelity and (2) evaluating procedures for determining the parameters of an advanced control law that can promote both dynamic operation as well as safety if appropriately designed. Regarding the first topic, we utilize computational fluid …

Insight Into The Effects Of Cation Disorder And Surface Chemical Residues On The Initial Coulombic Efficiency Of Layered Oxide Cathode, Jin-Li Liu, Han-Feng Wu, Zhi-Bei Liu, Ying-Qiang Wu, Li Wang, Feng-Li Bei, Xiang-Ming He

Journal of Electrochemistry

Lithium layered oxide LiNi_0.6Co_0.2Mn_0.2O₂ (NCM622) is one of the most promising cathode materials in high-energy lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. However, one drawback for NCM622 is that its initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) is only about 87%, which is at least 6% lower than that of LiCoO₂ or LiFePO₄. In this work, we investigated the effects of surface chemical residues (e.g., LiOH and Li₂CO₃) and Li/Ni cation disorder resulted during the sintering on the ICE. We found that the ICE of the as-prepared samples could be boosted …

In Vitro Models For The Study Of Liver Biology And Diseases: Advances And Limitations, Savneet Kaur, Srivatsan Kidambi, Martí Ortega-Ribera, Le Thi Thanh Thuy, Natalia Nieto, Victoria C. Cogger, Wei-Fen Xie, Frank Tacke, Jordi Gracia-Sancho

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

In vitro models of liver (patho)physiology, new technologies, and experimental approaches are progressing rapidly. Based on cell lines, induced pluripotent stem cells or primary cells derived from mouse or human liver as well as whole tissue (slices), such in vitro single- and multicellular models, including complex microfluidic organ-on-a-chip systems, provide tools to functionally understand mechanisms of liver health and disease. The International Society of Hepatic Sinusoidal Research (ISHSR) commissioned this working group to review the currently available in vitro liver models and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each in the context of evaluating their use for the study of …

The Hole Sealing Technology Of Solid-Liquid Materials With Three Pluggings And Two Injections For Gas Extraction Hole In The Coal Mine, Shiyao Yu, Xianbo Su, Jinxing Song, Qian Wang, Zhenjiang You

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The sealing quality of the gas extraction holes determines the extracted gas concentration. Based on this, the paper reveals the basic principle of hole sealing by analyzing the gas leakage mechanism of the borehole. The hole sealing technology of solid-liquid materials with three pluggings and two injections for the gas extraction hole is proposed, and the hole sealing device and material are developed. Through testing the granularity distribution of the solid material, as well as the surface tension and contact angle of the slurry, the hole sealing material that can meet the requirements of accessible, sticky, and anti-deformation is selected. …

Genetic Code Expansion In Pseudomonas Putida Kt2440, Xinyuan He, Tian Gao, Yan Chen, Kun Liu, Jiantao Guo, Wei Niu

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 is an emerging microbial chassis for bio-based chemical production from renewable feedstocks and environmental bioremediation. However, tools for studying, engineering, and modulating protein complexes and biosynthetic enzymes in this organism are largely underdeveloped. Genetic code expansion for the incorporation of unnatural amino acids (unAAs) into proteins can advance such efforts and, furthermore, enable additional controls of biological processes of the strain. In this work, we established the orthogonality of two widely used archaeal tRNA synthetase and tRNA pairs in KT2440. Following the optimization of decoding systems, four unAAs were incorporated into proteins in response to a UAG …

Histone Deacetylase 4 And 5 Translocation Elicited By Microsecond Pulsed Electric Field Exposure Is Mediated By Kinase Activity, Zahra Safaei, Gary L. Thompson Iii

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

Electroporation-based technologies using microsecond pulsed electric field (µsPEF) exposures are established as laboratory and clinical tools that permeabilize cell membranes. We demonstrate a µsPEF bioeffect on nucleocytoplasmic import and export of enzymes that regulate genetic expression, histone deacetylases (HDAC) -4 and -5. Their μsPEF-induced nucleocytoplasmic transport depends on presence and absence of extracellular calcium ions (Ca2+) for both MCF7 and CHO-K1 cells. Exposure to 1, 10, 30 and 50 consecutive square wave pulses at 1 Hz and of 100 µs duration with 1.45 kV/cm magnitude leads to translocation of endogenous HDAC4 and HDAC5. We posit that by eliciting a rise …

Higher Corrections Of The Ilkovich Equation, S. Jon Chapman, Charles W. Monroe, Shiv Krishna Madi Reddy, Alexander Van-Brunt, Ralph E. White

Faculty Publications

A short-time asymptotic analysis is performed to establish corrections of the Ilkovich equation, which describes the polarographic response of a dropping mercury electrode. The convective diffusion equation governing diffusion limited reactant flux for small drop times is solved by a regular perturbation based on powers of the sixth root of time. This produces a framework within which higher terms of the Ilkovich equation can be derived systematically. As well as reproducing Ilkovich’s original formula and verifying Newman’s correction of Koutecky’s first-order term, we calculate the second-order term for the first time. The calculation is compared to the Newman–Levich procedure and …

Sustainable Material For Urea Delivery Based On Chitosan Cross-Linked By Glutaraldehyde Saturated Toluene: Characterization And Determination Of The Release Rate Mathematical Model, Jayanudin Jayanudin, Retno S. D. Lestari, Indar Kustiningsih, Dandi Irawanto, Rozak Rozak, Reyonaldo L. A. Wardana, Fakhri Muhammad

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

The aims of this study were to characterize the urea-loaded chitosan microspheres and determine the release kinetic constants and diffusion coefficients. An emulsion cross-linking method was used to prepare the urea-loaded chitosan microspheres. Urea was dissolved in a solution of chitosan then put into vegetable oil and stirred to form an emulsion. Glutaraldehyde saturated toluene (GST) was added into the emulsion dropwise while continuously stirring for the solidification process. Chitosan microspheres filled with urea were washed, dried, and then analyzed. Characterization of the urea-loaded chitosan microspheres was conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and particle …

Machine Learning With Gradient-Based Optimization Of Nuclear Waste Vitrification With Uncertainties And Constraints, Lagrande Gunnell, Kyle Manwaring, Xiaonan Lu, Jacob Reynolds, John Vienna, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

Gekko is an optimization suite in Python that solves optimization problems involving mixed-integer, nonlinear, and differential equations. The purpose of this study is to integrate common Machine Learning (ML) algorithms such as Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), support vector regression (SVR), and artificial neural network (ANN) models into Gekko to solve data based optimization problems. Uncertainty quantification (UQ) is used alongside ML for better decision making. These methods include ensemble methods, model-specific methods, conformal predictions, and the delta method. An optimization problem involving nuclear waste vitrification is presented to demonstrate the benefit of ML in this field. ML models are compared …

Characterizations And Potential Recovery Pathways Of Phosphate Mines Waste Rocks, Amine El Mahdi Safhi, Hicham Amar, Yahya El Berdai, Mustapha El Ghorfi, Yassine Taha, Rachid Hakkou, Muthanna H. Al-Dahhan, Mostafa Benzaazoua

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The Phosphate Ore Production is Steadily Increasing Due to its High Demand for Agriculture, Medicine, and Others. Ore Extraction Generates a Considerable Quantity of Waste Rocks that Are Generally Stocked in Piles. the Current Research Aims to Investigate the Characterization of Phosphate Mine Waste Rocks (PMWR) Generated in Benguerir, Morocco Mine Site. as a Part of a Wide Project Aiming to Recycle Those Stockpiles, Sensor-Based Ore Sorting Will Be Employed to Separate the Different Lithologies. as a Prior Investigation Before Implementing This Technology, Two Samples of 25 Tons from the Destoning and Screening PMWR Piles Were Sampled and Submitted to …

Ab Initio Insight Into The Electrolysis Of Water On Basal And Edge (Fullerene C20) Surfaces Of 4 Å Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Zhen Jiang, Nadia N. Intan, Qiong Yang

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

The extreme surface reactivity of 4 Å single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) makes for a very promising catalytic material, however, controlling it experimentally has been found to be challenging. Here, we employ ab initio calculations to investigate the extent of surface reactivity and functionalization of 4 Å SWCNTs. We study the kinetics of water dissociation and adsorption on the surface of 4 Å SWCNTs with three different configurations: armchair (3,3), chiral (4,2) and zigzag (5,0). We reveal that out of three different configurations of 4 Å SWCNTs, the surface of tube (5,0) is the most reactive due to its small HOMO–LUMO …

Fractal Pore And Its Impact On Gas Adsorption Capacity Of Outburst Coal: Geological Significance To Coalbed Gas Occurrence And Outburst, Guangjun Feng, Xinzhuo Zhao, Meng Wang, Yu Song, Sijian Zheng, Ye He, Zhenjiang You

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Pore structure and methane adsorption of coal reservoir are closely correlated to the coalbed gas occurrence and outburst. Full-scale pore structure and its fractal heterogeneity of coal samples were quantitatively characterized using low-pressure N2 gas adsorption (LP-N₂GA) and high-pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry (HP-MIP). Fractal pore structure and adsorption capacities between outburst and nonoutburst coals were compared, and their geological significance to gas occurrence and outburst was discussed. The results show that pore volume (PV) is mainly contributed by macropores ( > 1000 nm) and mesopores (100-1000 nm), while specific surface area (SSA) is dominated by micropores ( < 10 nm) and transition pores (10 - 100 nm). On average, the PV and SSA of outburst coal samples are 4.56 times and 5.77 times those of nonoutburst coal samples, respectively, which provide sufficient place for gas adsorption and storage. The pore shape is dominated by semiclosed pores in the nonoutburst coal, whereas open pores and inkbottle pores are prevailing in the outburst coal. The pore size is widely distributed in the outburst coal, in which not only micropores are dominant, but also, transition pores and mesopores are developed to a certain extent. Based on the data from HP-MIP and LP-N₂GA, …

Scale Modeling Of An Appearance Of Downwash Pattern Of Hot Smoke Ejected From Chimney In The Turbulent Cross Flow, Xangpheuak Inthavideth, Nobumasa Sekishita, Sounthisack Phommachanh, Yuji Nakamura

Progress in Scale Modeling, an International Journal

This study aims to elucidate the scaling law to provide the critical condition on appearance of the downwash pattern of the hot smoke ejected from a chimney in a turbulent cross flow. A specially designed wind tunnel with an active turbulence generator developed by Makita was adopted to offer a quasi-isotropic turbulence field in a lab-scale test facility. A heated jet with smoke is issued into the cross flow from the vertically oriented chimney placed in the test section of the wind tunnel. In this study, the experimental parameters considered are temperature of the heated jet (smoke), jet ejected velocity, …

Exploring The Biomedical Applications Of Polyurethane-Based Foams, Films, And Hydrogels, Anand Utpal Vakil

Dissertations - ALL

Shape memory polymers (SMPs) are a class of smart materials that can be temporarily stored in a deformed shape and can actively recover their original shape upon exposure to an external stimulus, such as heat, magnetic field, moisture, pH, light, or electric field. The ability of SMPs to change shape when required can be used for a wide range of applications, especially in the case of minimally invasive biomedical applications. In this work, polyurethane-based SMPs were explored for their use in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing applications.

In the second chapter, low density porous foams with tunable degradability …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanocomposites For Environmental Remediation, Nethaji S

Technical Collection

My current work deals with the preparation and characterization of nanocomposites for effluent treatment applications. The expertise lies on the preparation of carbonaceous nanocomposites including graphitic materials. The prepared materials are characterized thoroughly by different methods like FE-SEM, TEM, FT-IR, XRD, VSM, surface area and porosity. The composite materials are used for the removal of conventional and emerging contaminants like antibiotics, pesticide residues, endocrine disruptors etc. In addition to the batch studies, fabrication of microcolumns to aid the scale-up of the process is also carried out. I have published 14 research publications with around 1000 citations and h-index of 11. …

Fabrication Of Thin-Film Composite, Reverse-Osmosis Membranes With Polyethylenimine Modifications For Enhancing Membrane Fouling Resistance, Stephanie N. Hamilton

Master's Theses

Increasing water reuse opportunities for communities has become increasingly important as access to clean water is becoming more scarce. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is an advanced treatment technology used in water recycling wastewater for potable reuse applications. RO is a promising technology; however, the membranes have limitations including their high energy demand and their susceptibility to membrane fouling. The main objective of this study was to develop a reproducible method for the fabrication of RO membranes with enhanced flux and reduced susceptibility to fouling. Literature contains numerous publications on fabrication of thin film composite (TFC) RO membranes with high performance. However, …

Comparison Of Two Capital Cost Assessment Methods For A Styrene Process Design, Marian K. Luzier

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Techno-Economic Sensitivity Analysis For Combined Design And Operation Of A Small Modular Reactor Hybrid Energy System, Daniel Hill, Adam Martin, Nathanael Martin-Nelson, Charles Granger, Kody Powell, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

With increasing grid-penetration of renewable energy resources and a rising need for carbon-free dispatchable power generation, nuclear-hybrid energy systems (NHES), consisting of small modular reactors, are an increasingly attractive option for maintaining grid stability. NHES can accomplish this with a minimal carbon footprint but there are significant uncertainties that are not fully understood. This work describes and demonstrates methods for analyzing the uncertainties of potential NHES designs, including uncertain design parameters and time series as well as variations in dispatch horizon length. The proposed methods are demonstrated on a sample system with 16 design parameters, 3 uncertain time series, and …

Synthesis Of A Phosphorus-Based Epoxy Reactive Flame Retardant Analog To Diglycidyl Ether Of Bisphenol A (Dgeba) And Its Behavior As A Matrix In A Carbon Fiber Composite, Mustafa Mukhtar

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

This paper describes the synthesis of a phosphorus-based flame retardant that is a chemical analog of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), as well as its incorporation as a matrix into carbon fiber laminates. Carbon fiber composites, if used for structural applications in mass transport vehicles (aircraft, trains), will require some aspects of improved fire performance to be used safely in those applications. The first phase of work involved the development of two separate synthesis routes to produce the flame retardant monomer, referred to as Phosphorus-DGEBA or simply P-DGEBA. The second step was to determine the viability of the compound's …

Bio-Oil Production From Hydrothermal Liquefaction Of Pennisetum Purpureum X Pennisetum Typhoideum, Tossapon Katongtung, Sanphawat Phtomphithak, Thossaporn Onsree, Nakorn Tippayawong, Jochen A. Lauterbach

Faculty Publications

Among renewable and sustainable energy resources, biomass plays a vital role. Agricultural residues/wastes, energy crops, and lignocellulosic biomass could potentially be major feedstocks for biorefineries. In Thailand, one of the most interesting energy crops is hybrid giant Juncao grass (GJG) or Pennisetum purpureum × Pennisetum typhoideum. GJG can be easily grown and has relatively high yields under tropical climates. Herein, conversion of GJG to biofuels via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) was investigated using batch reactors under varying reaction temperatures of 250–350 ◦C and biomass-to-deionized water concentrations of 15–25 wt% at a fixed residence time of 30 min. Changes in temperature and …

Mechanism Understanding Of Li-Ion Separation Using A Perovskite-Based Membrane, Mahsa Golmohammadi, Meysam Habibi, Sima Rezvantalab, Yasin Mehdizadeh Chellehbari, Reza Maleki, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Lithium ions play a crucial role in the energy storage industry. Finding suitable lithium-ion-conductive membranes is one of the important issues of energy storage studies. Hence, a perovskite-based membrane, Lithium Lanthanum Titanate (LLTO), was innovatively implemented in the presence and absence of solvents to precisely understand the mechanism of lithium ion separation. The ion-selective membrane’s mechanism and the perovskite-based membrane’s efficiency were investigated using Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulation. The results specified that the change in the ambient condition, pH, and temperature led to a shift in LLTO pore sizes. Based on the results, pH plays an undeniable role in facilitating …

A Review On N-Doped Biochar For Oxidative Degradation Of Organic Contaminants In Wastewater By Persulfate Activation, Yaxuan Gao, Wenran Gao, Haonan Zhu, Haoran Chen, Shanshan Yan, Ming Zhao, Hongqi Sun, Junjie Zhang, Shu Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Persulfate-based advanced oxidation process is the most efficient and commonly used technology to remove organic contaminants in wastewater. Due to the large surface area, unique electronic properties, abundant N functional groups, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness, N-doped biochars (NBCs) are widely used as catalysts for persulfate activation. This review focuses on the NBC for oxidative degradation of organics-contaminated wastewater. Firstly, the preparation and modification methods of NBCs were reviewed. Then the catalytic performance of NBCs and modified NBCs on the oxidation degradation of organic contaminants were discussed with an emphasis on the degradation mechanism. We further summarized the detection technologies …

Associations Between Prenatal Exposure To Phthalates And Features Of The Metabolic Syndrome In Males From Childhood Into Adulthood, Ye’Elah E. Berman, Dorota A. Doherty, Trevor A. Mori, Lawrence J. Beilin, Oyekoya T. Ayonrinde, Leon A. Adams, Rae-Chi Huang, John K. Olynyk, Jeffrey A. Keelan, John P. Newnham, Roger J. Hart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Phthalate metabolites are detectable within the majority of the population. Evidence suggests that a prenatal exposure to phthalates may be associated with the subsequent risks of obesity and elevated blood pressure. We hypothesised that a prenatal exposure to phthalates would lead to an increase in adverse cardiometabolic parameters through childhood and adulthood. The maternal serum phthalate measurements from the stored samples taken from Gen1 mothers at 18 and 34 weeks gestation were examined in relation to the cardiometabolic measures in 387 male offspring from the Raine Study. Data from the Gen2 follow-ups between 3 and 27 years were used. The …

Evaluation Of Cubic, Pc-Saft, And Gerg2008 Equations Of State For Accurate Calculations Of Thermophysical Properties Of Hydrogen-Blend Mixtures, Amer Alanazi, Muhammad Ali, Saleh Bawazeer, Nurudeen Yekeen, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydrogen (H₂) is a clean fuel and key enabler of energy transition into green renewable sources and a method of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Underground H₂ storage (UHS) is a prominent method offering a permanent solution for a low-carbon economy to meet the global energy demand. However, UHS is a complex procedure where containment security, pore-scale scattering, and large-scale storage capacity can be influenced by H₂ contamination due to mixing with cushion gases and reservoir fluids. The literature lacks comprehensive investigations of existing thermodynamic models in calculating the accurate transport properties of H₂-blend …

Preparation Of N-, O-, And S-Tri-Doped Biochar Through One-Pot Pyrolysis Of Poplar And Urea Formaldehyde And Its Enhanced Removal Of Tetracycline From Wastewater, Wenran Gao, Zixiang Lin, Shanshan Yan, Yaxuan Gao, Hong Zhang, Xun Hu, Hongqi Sun, Shu Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this study, biochar was prepared via hybrid doping of N, O, and S by applying one-pot pyrolysis of poplar wood and S-containing urea formaldehyde at 900 °C. Different doping ratios were adopted, and the contents of O, N, and S were in the ranges of 2.78 – 5.56 %, 2.16 – 4.92 %, and 1.42 – 4.98 %, respectively. This hybrid doping significantly enhanced the efficiency of the removal of tetracycline (40 mg/L) from wastewater to 71.84 % in comparison with that attained by using normal poplar biochar (29.45 %). The adsorption kinetics and isotherms indicated that the adsorption …

Wetting Of Paper Towels: A Method To Determine The Two-Dimensional Absorption Capacity, Hossein Abedsoltan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This study proposes a method to determine the two-dimensional absorption capacity of paper towels. Individual plies were tested to minimize the effects of transverse wicking on wetting. The method involves arbitrary point source injection of liquid into the towel surface while recording microscopic images of the wetted areas. The samples were selected from the main manufacturing processes: conventional wet pressing and through-air drying. Wetting graphs that illustrate the dynamic and static wetting behaviors were generated. The driving force was found to have a negligible effect on the maximum wetted area. The maximum wetted area and the paper grammage were used …

Correlating The Macrostructural Variations Of An Ion Gel With Its Carbon Dioxide Sorption Capacity, Tung Nguyen,, Mona Bavarian, Siamak Nejati

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Faculty Publications

We report on a direct correlation between the macroscale structural variations and the gas sorption capacities of an ion gel. Here, we chose 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl)imide ([Emim][TF₂N]) and poly(vinylidene fluoride)-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) as the ionic liquid and host polymer, respectively. The CO₂ sorption in the thin films of the IL-polymer was measured using the gravimetric method. The results of our experiment showed that the trend in CO₂ uptake of these mixtures was nonlinearly correlated with the content of IL. Here, we highlight that the variations in the molecular structure of the polymers were the main reason behind …

Biodegradable Heat Insulation Composites Based On Poly(Β-Hydroxybutyrate) And Date Palm Wood, Amal Ibrahim Mlhem

Theses

Residential buildings contribute the most to energy consumption. It was found that energy savings of 20% can be achieved through the thermal insulation of residential buildings in the United Arab Emirates. For this reason, research has been conducted in the field of sustainable thermal insulation materials. Wood-Plastic Composites (WPC) are a relatively new generation of biocomposites and are particularly suitable for construction and building applications, which offers high thermal and acoustic insulation properties., reducing carbon emissions and decreasing negative impacts on the environment due to their biodegradability, sustainability, renewability, and recyclability. The first part of this study investigated the thermal …

Utilizing Date Pits In Microencapsulation: Effect Of Different Variations On Probiotic Survivability Under In Vitro Digestion, Asmaa Samir Al Hamayda

Theses

This work deals with the medicinal use of date pit powder, which turns it from a waste product to a useful stabilizer for the release of beneficial probiotics in the human intestine. The main objective of this work is to encapsulate probiotics with date pit beads and their subsequent release in the human intestine. The beads were formed using gravitational dripping technique, while INFOGEST protocol was used to test the digested beads and the release of viable probiotic cells. For the three date varieties Raziz, Naghal and Khadrawy, it was found that 0.1 g of date pit powder per 0.2 …