Semiconductor manufacturing requires cleanrooms that maintain precise environmental conditions regardless of conditions outside the facility. This includes strict control over temperature, humidity and air quality. These conditions are essential for ensuring the quality and reliability of sensitive semiconductor products. HVAC systems in these facilities are primary contributors of energy consumption and thus environmental degradation. With the goal of minimizing energy consumption and environmental impact, the team set out to optimize the recirculation of air while ensuring industry standards are met.

The team designed and calculated energy consumption of the HVAC system for several different air configurations. The focus was on maximizing the use of recycled air in each system. The team used Matlab to automate hourly energy calculations over an entire year using historical weather data. They then compared each configuration and determined the most energy efficient designs that met the strict air quality needs of semiconductor cleanrooms considering outside conditions. At the end of this process, the team extrapolated climate change data to predict how the energy consumption needs and cost of HVAC systems in semiconductor fabrication facilities will change in the future.

This project centers on designing an NRU model with helium recovery to process nitrogen-rich natural gas and meet strict product specifications. The goal is twofold: deliver pipeline-quality natural gas with minimal nitrogen and produce a crude helium stream at a high recovery rate. To achieve these targets, the team employed a double-column cryogenic distillation cycle – first removing most hydrocarbons at high pressure, then separating helium from nitrogen at lower pressure.

The design utilizes the cold nitrogen and helium output streams to pre-cool incoming feed gas. This reduces the need for external refrigeration, lowers overall power consumption and maximizes heat recovery. It also decreases operating costs and enhances the overall efficiency of the cryogenic separation cycle.

The team used modeling software, focusing on recapturing energy using turboexpanders and lowering the operating pressures of the two columns. The model successfully achieved a high helium recovery rate while maintaining low nitrogen content in the pipeline gas. The team then conducted extensive sensitivity analyses to fine-tune column pressures, optimize heat exchanger performance and evaluate the impact of different process configurations. Additionally, trade-off studies between turboexpanders and Joule-Thomson valves identified the most efficient method for reducing power consumption without compromising separation efficiency. Through these efforts, the team successfully developed a robust and energy-efficient NRU design that meets all specifications while balancing performance, cost and feasibility.

Produced water is a key byproduct of oil and gas extraction via hydraulic fracturing. This process injects water at flow rates of 100 barrels per minute and pressures of up to 15,000 psi to release hydrocarbons trapped in underground formations, primarily shale. If not handled properly, produced water poses environmental risks through spills, leaks or excessive use. Its complex composition – which includes various chemicals, salts, minerals, and additional additives and varies based on a company’s fracturing process and location – is a significant concern that makes managing produced water a critical challenge for the industry.

Hazardous materials – such as heavy metals and naturally occurring radioactive substances, as well as high salinity levels – make this water unsuitable for reuse without purification. Saltwater disposal wells (SWDs) are the primary treatment solution, but they come with limitations. The sheer volume of produced water can overwhelm SWDs, creating inefficiencies and delaying purification. Hydraulic fracturing can be particularly costly in arid regions where water is scarce. This makes water recycling essential.

The shale gas industry is increasingly focused on converting produced water into profitable byproducts before it reaches SWDs to offset purification costs. Extracting constituents such as sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, strontium chloride and strontium sulfate represent valuable opportunities for sustainable resource management.

Two problems often plague disaster sites: an excess of plastic waste and lack of fuel. This project simultaneously solves both using pyrolysis – breaking down a substance by heating it in an oxygen-deprived atmosphere to prevent combustion. Plastic polymers are ideal for pyrolysis because they break down into a combustible liquid that is much more volatile than their plastic source. This liquid can be distilled into usable fuel.

This multi-year project already has a portable device for pyrolyzing plastic in disaster areas to produce emergency liquid fuel. It reaches temperatures of up to 500°C while maintaining an inert environment to produce gaseous and liquid products by pyrolyzing a pure polypropylene plastic sample.

This year’s team focused on refining this crude product into fuel for use in combustion engines. The team conducted research and lab testing to characterize the product and determine its chemical composition. Simulations on ASPEN software revealed the best distillation methods and parameters. Through these simulations, the team developed a batch distillation column to separate the product oil into different keys based on molecular weight. These separate keys, along with the necessary additives, have potential as fuels for different purposes – e.g. lighter key for gasoline engines and heavier key for diesel engines. Findings from this project also advised Team 25051’s experimental design and execution.

Ethanol is a renewable energy source commonly used as a fuel and fuel additive in cars. Currently, ethanol is not produced or used on a large enough scale to challenge fossil fuels’ dominance. This is largely due to its technically challenging and inefficient production process, which results in lower energy density, higher production cost and limited availability.

The team identified a method of converting agricultural waste into bioethanol that improves efficiency and sustainability. The goal was to find a solution that simultaneously addresses the harmful emissions produced by fossil fuel consumption and the wasteful disposal of agricultural byproducts.

The proposed process serves as an outlet for 82,500 metric tons of corn waste annually sourced from farms in southeastern Nebraska. The stover – leftover inedible material – undergoes pretreatment, where a rolling disc mill physically breaks it down, then a steam explosion further breaks down lignin. The cellulose and hemicellulose contained in the treated stover are then hydrolyzed into glucose and xylose. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, or baker’s yeast, then ferments this mixture to produce ethanol in an aqueous solution. Finally, this solution passes through a series of distillation columns and a molecular sieve. The final product is fuel-grade ethanol.

This project’s aim was to create an enjoyable, nonalcoholic (≤0.5% ABV) social beverage that produces a calming effect for the consumer. The drink uses only natural ingredients, has no aftertaste and contains supplements backed by research. The team chose Ashwagandha, L-Theanine and Lion’s Mane after thorough evaluation for calming and mood effects, safety, natural occurrence and taste profile. An at-home procedure extracted the supplements by dehydrating, pulverizing, soaking and boiling. The team tested the extracts using high-performance liquid chromatography to determine the efficiency of the extraction process and ensure a safe, effective and high-quality tincture.

Once the tincture was optimized, the team designed an industrial-sized, scaled-up processing plant based on experimental findings and Aspen simulations. The design was structured around parallel extraction lines. Each line’s product can be combined, carbonated and packaged for sale. The team optimized the design so that the active compounds could be effectively extracted while keeping the drink nonalcoholic. This portion of the project had additional profitability, scalability, and limited water and energy consumption criteria. The team also aimed to adhere to OSHA guidelines and produce a product that would be approved by the FDA.

This project aims to develop a treatment system for water contaminated with PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals.” These synthetic chemicals were once commonly used in firefighting foams at Arizona’s Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and are still used in many products that resist heat, grease or water. However, PFAS – particularly perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) – have been linked to serious health risks, including cancers and infertility, and are found throughout the environment in concentrations far exceeding EPA safety limits. The team addressed these rising concerns by designing a scalable groundwater treatment plant in Summit, Arizona, an area that is heavily affected by PFAS pollution.

The complete groundwater treatment plant includes a dedicated PFAS removal zone and incorporates advanced treatment methods such as UV oxidation and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtering. The team worked to understand the adsorption kinetics of PFOS and PFOA on GAC, which are essential for scaling the treatment plant to meet regulatory standards. Additionally, the team emphasized engagement with the local community, particularly those involved with the Unified Community Advisory Board, who have long advocated for addressing PFAS contamination in the region.

The ARSST bomb calorimeter provides precise data on temperature, pressure and reaction rates so students can assess runaway reaction risks and industrial safety considerations. In this project, the team integrated the ARSST into a two-week lab series that teaches students to analyze reaction kinetics, thermal hazards and pressure vent scaling.

The team selected two key reactions for experimental study: the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and the production of ferric sulfate through hydrogen peroxide oxidation. The hydrogen peroxide experiment focuses on understanding how heating rate and pressure influence reaction rate and conversion. This provides students with insight into runaway reaction prevention.

The second experiment explores ferric sulfate production by optimizing catalyst ratios and reaction conditions to improve efficiency and minimize peroxide decomposition. Students will be responsible for making effective alterations to the experimental parameters while remaining compliant with safe lab practices. Safety will be a chief requirement because of the high temperature and pressure environments found in the ARSST. Through these labs, students will learn to apply theoretical concepts to real-world safety and process optimization challenges.

Conventional fish feed often contributes to overfishing, environmental degradation and significant challenges for small-scale farmers in developing countries, particularly in countries like South Africa. To meet the increasing global demand for fish while ensuring environmental sustainability and addressing the economic challenges posed by conventional fish feed, the team experimentally compared three innovative insect-based fish feed alternatives.

This project focused on two specific insect sources: mealworms and black soldier flies. The team developed a careful process for cultivating, blending and producing these insects into pelletized fish feed designed for tilapia farming. This method enhances the nutritional value of the feed and reduces its environmental impact, as these insects require minimal land, water and cost.

By prioritizing the needs of small-scale farmers, the team aimed to offer an alternative to traditional feed that enhances economic viability and boosts food security. Moreover, this insect-based feed’s production scalability means it can extend beyond South Africa where it can contribute to more sustainable practices in global aquaculture. The team’s findings provide valuable insights that could significantly reshape fish farming practices and balance productivity with ecological responsibility, even on an industrial scale.

Heavy metal contamination, from both natural and anthropogenic sources, affects millions of people worldwide. This problem is particularly difficult for Native American communities impacted by abandoned mines. As current heavy metal removal methods can be costly and generate secondary waste, cost-effective, environmentally friendly bioremediation alternatives are needed.

The team’s solution is a passive treatment system that uses fungal-based bioremediation (mycoremediation) to remove heavy metals with minimal energy inputs. To develop this system, the team first performed batch experiments to assess the biosorption capacity (milligrams of metal removed per gram biomass) and adsorption rates of the Fusarium fungus in a mixed heavy metal solution designed to emulate acid mine drainage. The team’s treatment system is based on the findings from these experiments.

MIW first flows through a limestone pond to precipitate aluminum and iron. Next, the water enters a passive packed-bed reactor containing inactivated fungal media. Here the heavy metals adsorb onto the surface of the media during chemical, physical and electrostatic interactions. The system operates at a target flow rate of 10 gallons per minute, relies on gravity-driven flow, and aims to reduce heavy metal concentrations to meet EPA discharge standards.