Numerous heat exchanger designs are used in industry to balance heat transfer rate, robustness and cost through specification of materials, designs and flow regimes. The heat exchanger network cart will be used by the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering for undergraduate students to facilitate learning and understanding of the operation and variation of heat exchangers. The network cart encompasses a system with four heat exchangers that compare the effects of heat transfer rates due to differences between materials and form factors. The network is made with corrosion-resistant materials, a self-contained electrically heated hot water system and a set of standard operating procedures for ease of maintenance with a guaranteed minimum service life of 15 years.

The 30 micron primary drum filters in the Biosphere 2 life-support system required backwash because they were failing to remove dissolved and suspended organic material from the Biosphere 2 ocean. The goal of the backwash treatment was to identify optimal conditions for reuse while simultaneously minimizing any potential waste stream. This required multiple mass balances, process train designs, and ocean chemistry knowledge. Mechanical processes such as rapid sand filtration and ultrafiltration were used to remove turbidity, and chemical processes such as ozonation and ultraviolet treatment removed harmful microbes within the backwash.

There are several benefits to hydrogen polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell technology, including a high power density and a relatively low weight. However, hydrogen gas storage can be problematic and hazardous. In addition, low-temperature fuel cells often require relatively large water-cooling systems to run efficiently.To eliminate these issues, the team’s design uses a high operating temperature and an integrated reformer, which removes the need for hydrogen storage. The reformer uses methanol and steam to produce high-purity hydrogen gas through a methanol-steam reforming reaction, and the introduction of a catalyst. The high activation energy of the reforming reaction allows easier integration with the high operating temperatures of the fuel cell: around 180 degrees Celsius. The hydrogen gas can then be isolated using a palladium membrane and fed to the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack, where hydrogen gas and oxygen come in contact with a platinum catalyst. Positive hydrogen ions are transferred through an electrolyte membrane to create power output. Potential uses of this technology include primary or secondary energy sources for residential and industrial applications.

Ethanol production begins with finely ground whole grains that are then mixed with diluted acid and cooked at high temperatures. The acid aids in the hydrolysis of the starches within the grain and provides the proper pH environment for enzymes during the saccharification process. Cooking the starches prior to saccharification further optimizes enzymatic starch breakdown into sugars. These sugars are then consumed by yeast in a fermentation process to produce ethanol. The process of enzymatic degradation and yeast fermentation yields a solution that contains approximately 16 percent ethanol. This solution also contains undigested starches, sugars and other byproducts. To produce a 95 percent solution of ethanol, this mixture goes through a distillation process whereby ethanol is separated from the remaining solution to achieve high purity. The finished product is then shipped to be diluted and distributed at an outside facility.

Global climate change, depletion of fossil fuels and a growing energy demand have created a need for reliable, safe and clean fuel alternatives to fossil fuel. Dimethyl ether is an appealing option due to its high cetane number and its low-polluting combustion. A manufacturing plant was designed and cost-evaluated for the conversion of biosolids into dimethyl ether. Biosolids, such as firewood and agricultural waste, are reformed at high temperatures to generate syngas, a mixture of hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. A reactor was designed to react the syngas over catalyst to produce methanol. The catalyst is bifunctional and also aids in dehydration of methanol to produce dimethyl ether within the same reactor. A separation process design was created to purify dimethyl ether to ASTM fuel standards and to capture unreacted methanol for process recycling. This design is a cost-effective, safe, green alternative to fossil fuels.

The increasing demand for cloud storage has resulted in major growth for the data center industry. Cloud service providers, such as Microsoft, generate large amounts of heat at data center, which must be removed through cooling. Microsoft currently removes heat from its data centers by cycling water between cooling towers and data centers, but contaminant buildup can cause fouling in the water. This process is not sustainable because there is no current reclamation of contaminated cooling water discharge.The team’s design uses a system of membrane distillation units that use low-grade heat from the data centers and cooling potential from a local freshwater source. Design considerations included cost comparisons with current water treatment process, total utility usage required to power the units, and water purity.

Dynamic simulations can improve early stages of research and testing and can be used to help operators train, allowing them more freedom to learn from mistakes.
Integrated Modeling of Dynamic Distillation Simulations, or iMODDS, is a fully functional distillation column simulation that communicates with a distributed control system. The simulation automatically responds to input and output communications from the control system like a real distillation unit while minimizing run times. The simulation uses the Skogestad method for dynamic distillation. The distillation column was modeled using the rigorous tray model involving a linearized approach to tray hydraulics using Laplace transforms. The project encompasses only a single stage in ethanol production: the rectifying column and associated equipment. The simulation has the ability to interpret inputs and parameters, and communicates the appropriate outputs to control system software.

Low density and compression difficulty make direct piping of natural gas over long distances inefficient and costly. The liquid form of natural gas is favored by international importers due to its energy density and ease of transport. However, liquid natural gas must be vaporized before it can be used as an energy source. The essence of this design is to create a terminal capable of vaporizing 1.05 billion cubic feet of liquid natural gas per day for continuous pipeline transmission. The liquid gas is offloaded from tankers to storage tanks that maintain cryogenic conditions of -259 degrees Fahrenheit. Some liquid gas in these tanks vaporizes spontaneously, and a portion of this excess gas is routed back to the tankers, while the rest of it is recondensed for vaporization. Liquid natural gas from the storage tanks is compressed to 1,350 pounds per square inch absolute before vaporization to prepare for requisite piping conditions of 1,250 pounds per square inch and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat for vaporization is supplied from the ambient environment, using either seawater or air (both options are explored in this design). In winter months, ambient conditions provide insufficient heat, so a portion of natural gas is burned to make up for this difference.

In urban areas, sewer systems and water reclamation facilities are common solutions, but are not feasible in areas that are remote of have low population density. A waste-handling system was designed for remote areas that focuses on increasing standard of living and sanitation. These remote restrooms include a constructed bathroom with separation toilets and a water source, a storage system, a transportation system, and a waste-handling system. The waste-handling system has two modes: one for solid waste and one for urine. Black soldier flies are used to cultivate the solid waste, and ammonia production is used to recycle the urine into fertilizer. The restrooms are designed to run year-round and easily adapt to environmental changes while being low waste,low cost, low energy and low maintenance.

A still is used to heat fermented starches and produce a high-proof “shine.” The shine is then diluted with water or flavor additives. Contemporary vodka manufacturers use a time-intensive batch process to infuse their product with flavor.To develop a rapid infusion process for the liquor, this project uses vacuum distillation to obtain the high-proof shine, which requires less energy to evaporate ethyl alcohol. Impurities, such as methyl alcohol, are also easier to separate from the mixture with this method, unlike with column distillation, in which impurities are on the top tray and tend to decrease the purity and flavor of vodka. Another positive aspect of vacuum distillation is the higher recovery of ethyl alcohol from the fermented mash –above 98 percent, which is higher than column distillation’s 92-96 percent recovery rate. The infusion process is based on a packed bed reactor in which vodka flows through a pipe full of fruit that gives the desired flavor. Typically, the infusion process is done in a vessel full of fruit, and then low-proof vodka is added and left for days until the desired flavor is achieved. A packed bed reactor process can take less time and uses high-proof vodka to accelerate infusion. The new process will reduce water and electricity usage, and re-purpose or recycle depleted feed-stocks to address sustainability concerns.