DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF ZINC ION BATTERIES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Zinc-ion battery (ZIB) is an emerging technology that is environmentally friendly, low cost, and provides lower safety risks relative to other energy storage systems such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The objective of this project is to design a ZIB that would be capable of providing sufficient power for an electric car. It is expected that ZIB has a higher theoretical energy density vs. LiBs (200-300 mA.h.g-1). The design includes synthesizing MnO2 cathode material and redesigning the interface between the cathode and the electrolyte.2
Team members: Julie Hyeonjoo Cho, Jane Ying Jun Su, Christian ChungHwan Park
DESIGN OF A FLOW BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM
With growing resource diversification, energy storage has the potential to facilitate more flexible electricity generation and consumption, and permit utilization of intermittent renewable sources. This project’s objective is to model a vanadium flow battery, capable of storing energy during off-peak hours to sustain peak demand periods. The model determines parameters such as power output, charge and discharge efficiency, tank size, and crossover losses. Data from the model will also be used to determine potential economic savings, capital costs, and environmental benefits.
Team members: Michelle Hoang, Jeffrey Chu, Henry Xiang, Minji Kim
DESIGN OF METHANE FUGITIVE RELEASE SENSOR
This project, in collaboration with Pro-Flange, involves designing a sensor for methane leak detection along oil and gas pipeline systems. Methane is the primary component of natural gas and its leaks are the largest source of industrial emissions from the oil and gas sector; effective leak detection programs can reduce up to a third of North America’s methane pollution. Our design will utilize COMSOL modelling to predict the gas leakage path and determine optimal positions for a robust solid electrochemical sensor within the pipeline system.
Team members: Adrian Rajasingam, Sonia Kim, Anthea Kong, Michael Chen
DESIGN OF NANO-COMPOSITE MATERIAL FOR THE DETECTION OF ACETONE
The focus of this project is to design a polymeric sensing material to detect acetone gas. The polymeric material selected using design considerations for application requirements over five materials is polyaniline (PANI), which is expected to detect low concentrations of acetone. To improve the selectivity and sensitivity of PANI, metal oxide dopants were added. High acetone levels in breath can reflect high glucose levels in the human body, therefore a potential application of this acetone sensing material is to be used for diabetes diagnosis.
Team members: Thipisha Sivakumaran, Prachi Panchal
DESIGN AND SCALE UP OF TERPOLYMER PRODUCTION PROCESS
Enhanced oil recovery by polymer flooding is a promising technology which has notable success in deep well oil recovery for increasing extraction capacities. Our project deals with the design and scale-up of a production process for a novel terpolymer to be used in polymer flooding applications. The polymerization reaction results, obtained through batch reactor experimentation were compared to previous bench-scale research to confirm feasibility and identify scale-up criteria.
Team members: Akash Shah, Pooyan Sharifi, Brandon Badger, Maratab Rai
SENSOR FOR MEAT FRESHNESS
Every year, meat goes to waste due to a lack of an accurate method of measuring its freshness; but when not discarded properly, spoiled meats are a large source of food-borne illnesses. The goal of this project is to design an easy, accurate and effective method for measuring the freshness of beef by measuring the pH change in the meat caused by microbial activity and cellular decay. A colour change in a chemical dye will be used to determine the freshness of the meat.
Team members: Woo Kang, Jenny Li
AIR-TO-WATER CONVERSION DEVICE
The project aims to alleviate the water scarcity issue around the world by designing an air to drinkable water conversion device. The device can produce the necessary amount of water to sustain basic water requirements in areas where water supply is not readily available or extremely costly. The prototype will incorporate a thermoelectric cooling block combined with solar panels to condense water vapor from air. The resulting water will be fit for consumption without additional water filtration.
Team members: Cassie (Yidan) Lang and Sandy Qiu
WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM ALONG THE MEKONG RIVER IN CAMBODIA
In 2010, the UN declared it a human right to have accessible, safe, and affordable water and sanitation. The purpose of this project is to design a feasible water purification system for a small community located by the Mekong River in Cambodia. The system will use a solar-powered pump to feed contaminated river water into the process. The process will consist of UV radiation and reverse osmosis techniques to get rid of key contaminants such as E. Coli and arsenic from the drinking water.
Team members: Sonia Sequeira, Oshani De Silva, Taylor Hong
ESPRESSO BREWING MINI-PLANT
This project aims to design an espresso brewing process then modify an espresso machine to match the design. The apparatus will have process variables that are within the user’s control. Using the adjustable process variables, experiments will be conducted to find optimal conditions for customer requirements. The caffeine content in each sample will be determined using UV-Vis spectroscopy and the taste will be evaluated using standardized coffee tasting methods. Experimental results will be analyzed using DOE statistical methods.
Team members: Matthew Del Gobbo, Eric Ruskoff, Kurtis Bishop, Not Pictured: Adil Asif
COFFEE ROASTING
The objectives of this project were to develop a method for controlling the caffeine content and taste of coffee by changing roasting parameters, to determine heat and mass transfer coefficients for the roasting processes, and to design a roasting procedure to produce coffee with the maximum caffeine content and most favourable taste, as rated during public taste tests. These goals were accomplished by running experimental trials on two roasters: a Hottop KN-8828B-2K+ and a Behmor 1600 Plus. Caffeine content was measured using UV-Vis spectrometry.
Team members: Brooks MacLachlan, Peter Junsuk Kim, Syed Ali Kazmi
GASIFICATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE
The objective of this project is to produce a feasibility study on an integrated gasification and methanol synthesis plant, where municipal solid waste is the feedstock. Landfills pose a continued threat to the environment and public health. The proposed process allows for landfill diversion, all while generating a high-value product: methanol. The feasibility of the process is assessed based on economic and environmental factors, along with technical viability. A simulation of the process has been developed and optimized in AspenPlus to allow for this assessment.
Team members: Soyeon (Stacey) Oum, Jennifer Ai and Eryn Belanger
PROPYLENE PRODUCTION VIA METATHESIS OF ETHYLENE
Forecasts predict that the global demand of propylene will exceed global supply in coming years. Alberta currently has 4 ethylene crackers that produce a by-product containing various C4 hydrocarbons. The butene in this stream can be reacted with ethylene through metathesis to produce propylene. This project aims to design a chemical production plant in Alberta that would achieve this production. Objectives include a process flow diagram, an environmental analysis, an economic evaluation of the process, and FEED and HAZOP of the main process reactor.
Team members: Thomas Donnelly, Tian Heng (Henry) Chen, Karthik Ramesh, Shen Dian (Tony) Li
CONTINUOUS ACOUSTIC MONITORING OF STEAM TRAPS FOR FAILURE DETECTION
A steam trap is a commonly used device in industry that separates condensate from active steam. Steam traps have mechanical components that are continuously in use and are susceptible to failure, and a failed steam trap can be expensive to operations, while remaining undetected. This project is set out to design a device that can detect and alert these failures. Temperature and acoustic data will be collected from an operating steam trap, and following this a computer program that can recognize the acoustic patterns of a failed trap is to be developed.
Team members: Brandon Lui, Shahriar Kabir, Paul Boyadjian, Thomas Uhlenbruck, Aniket Verma
CAPTURE OF CO2 USING AMINE SOLUTIONS
With a growing concern over global warming and climate change, there is a need to find efficient methods to capture the greenhouse gasses emitted, most notably CO2 emissions. The focus of this project is to compare hollow fibre membrane contactors with traditional carbon capture processes. This will be completed by developing a MATLAB and HYSYS process simulation to remove CO2 from waste gas mixtures. Additionally, an economic analysis will be performed to determine feasibility of scaled up operations with this emerging technology.
Team members: Martin Coville, Aaron McLelland, Vishnu Vijayaraghavan and Dineth Jayawardena
MINING WASTEWATER TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR THE REMOVAL OF HARMFUL AMMONIA PRODUCTS
Mining operations in the arctic are the most common industrial activities to extract valuable materials. One problem is that ammonia products are generated as a by-product and leak into the surrounding water. The goal for this project is to compare two viable methods (in this case, air stripping and electrochemical oxidation) for the treatment of a mining wastewater stream. Intensive models from MATLAB and Aspen Plus will be used to choose one method to devise a potential working solution for the treatment of cold-climate wastewater.
Team members: Caleb Robert Samuel Beke, Shahil Chhiba, Elijah Nathaniel Slaughter
COMPARISON AND EVALUATION OF ESPRESSO AND DRIP COFFEE USING DIFFERENT BREWING TECHNIQUES
Several brewing techniques are utilized to make espresso and drip coffee. Currently, there is a lack of information of how certain variables such as coffee grind sizes and amount of coffee impact caffeine levels, extraction efficiency, and quality of brewed coffee for instant taste. The goal of this project is to compare and evaluate six different coffee brewing techniques by alternating different variables, and ultimately feature these batch and continuous processing techniques in the Ideas Clinic to provide students with a practical learning experience.
Team members: Mi Reu Kim, Hammaad Bin Arshad, Yanjun Luo
THERMOELECTRIC COOLING FOR BATTERY LIFE MANAGEMENT
The purpose of the project is to evaluate the performance feasibility of thermoelectric coolers in battery life management applications. The experiment is subjected to examine whether the performance of the Peltier coolers is sufficient to reduce operating temperature of battery coolant (Ethylene Glycol) by more than 2°C with an acceptable power consumption. The prototype module will be constructed, and computer simulation using NX-Multiphysics will be used to verify analysis conclusions.
Team members: Sunho Lee, Paul (Keunwoo Kang), Anqi Luo, Hank (Hyunsu) Ye, Bhavneet Kang
REDUCING NITRIC ACID PLANT EMISSIONS THROUGH N2O ABATEMENT
Greenhouse gas emissions are an important factor to monitor for all types of production plants. This project looks at a nitric acid plant for CF Industries, which currently emits N2O as part of the process. The objective is to reduce the plant emission levels through N2O abatement. Various technologies such as Non-Selective Catalytic Reduction (NSCR) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology are analyzed. A technology is selected based on constraints, followed by a risk assessment.
Team members: Deeshay Heeramun, Jeremy Leong, Joanna Jardin, and Nicholas Palermo
SIMULATION STUDY OF MICROGRID IMPLEMENTATION AT WLU CAMPUS
This project uses a flowsheet simulation approach to perform an operational evaluation of 3 Wilfrid Laurier University buildings. The aim is to evaluate each building as an energy system and to determine the potential for the application of novel energy generation, conversion, and storage technologies. The performance of each building is examined under different system component configurations, considering the application of solar PV, µCHP, P2G, and battery energy storage. Recommendations are then provided based on the energy, environmental, and economic advantages of each configuration.
Team members: QingHao (John) Kong, Kajeeban Rajalingam, Rahul Anand, YiTing Yao
USE OF ORGANIC THIN FILM TRANSISTORS FOR ANALYTES SENSING
The purpose of this capstone project is to investigate the efficiency and suitability of utilizing Organic Thin Film Transistor (OTFT) sensors for applications related to monitoring of analytes such as glucose. The polymer that most strongly met the criteria of sensitivity and stability was chosen for more in-depth analysis and testing. The hope is that the chosen material will be subsequently utilized for developing devices for use in the healthcare industry that allow for non-invasive testing of glucose and other analytes.
Team members: Mohammed Juzer Batliwala, Rahul Dua, Omer Hassan
DESIGN OF SORBENT BOOMS FOR OIL SPILL RECOVERY
The scope of this project is to design a workable sorbent boom prototype made from tire landfill waste. Sorbent booms are used to absorb and contain oil from oil spill incidents. Preliminary results showed that the waste material absorbs oil well enough to be commercialized. By modelling the absorption rate and in-take capacity through laboratory testing, the design of the sorbent boom has been optimized. This project allows for a complex environmental clean-up to be dealt with using an environmentally responsible product.
Team members: Skylar Bone, Jack Anderson, Olsi Goxhaj, Kien Tran
DESIGN OF A HALOGENATED DRUG RECOVERY SYSTEM
Various anesthetics used in the medical industry are gasses with great global warming potentials (200-950 times more potent than CO2 over 100 years). Current disposal methods for these gases are inadequate; the gases are either directly vented to the atmosphere or stored indefinitely as a waste. The goal of our project is to investigate recycling, disposal, and reclamation methods for the anesthetic gases being stored as hospital waste. Process models were developed to determine the most feasible solution.
Team members: Allen Victorious, Shrey Khanna, and Adam Boyle
PURGE WATER SELECTION AND PROCESS OPTIMIZATION
With the conversion from solvent-borne to water-borne paint technology, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) has observed defects related to the selection and use of their existing purge water (used for paint line cleaning). Through selection and optimization of new/modified purge water system, the project goal is to eliminate purge water related defects, resulting in cost savings and reduction of overall carbon footprint. The project approach focuses on development of innovative quantitative paint/purge water test methods, and optimization of process conditions for the selected purge water at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC).
Team members: Laura Terisno, Robert Ngunjiri, Dawn Ng
HYDROCARBON RECOVERY SYSTEM
Our project is the development of a system for recovering 99% of the hydrocarbons present in a petrochemical company’s waste gas stream. The recovery system will be based on a packed bed absorber and stripper that uses an available liquid waste stream for the removal. This will be carried out by modelling the process using HYSYS. The results will be used to cost the required equipment and perform an economic feasibility study. These results will be used by the company to influence future decisions.
Team members: Dylan Grove, Drew McMillen, Steven Brookshaw, Alex Vasile
DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF LI-S BATTERY FOR EVS
The objective of this project is to design a battery pack using lithium sulfur cells for use in electric vehicles. The packing geometry of the battery cells will be discussed and analyzed to optimize vehicle performance parameters such as drive range and battery cost. The lithium sulfur battery design will be compared to a conventional lithium ion battery design to showcase feasibility of implementation. This design has the potential for future success as a competitive alternative to lithium ion battery systems.
Team members: Claudia Chan, Tanya Tang, Gloria Cheung, Nick Virga
DESIGN OF COMPOSITION CONTROL POLICIES IN THE PRODUCTION OF ADVANCED POLYMERIC MATERIALS
The purpose of this project is to create a simulation software to be used in the design of polymeric molecules of desirable composition during polymer production. The simulation software will be used to comprehend better different polymerization characteristics and to understand how composition and sequence length can be controlled depending on the monomers being used. The simulator can thus be used by students and teachers of polymer science/engineering. Furthermore, it can also be used by polymer industry practitioners for training and optimization/control of polymer properties during commercial production.
Team members: Thamaraa Sivayogan, Puneet Natt, Yashwini Murali, Nicole Francis
RECYCLING PET CARPET TRIMMINGS FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
The objective of this project is to increase the intrinsic viscosity of PET carpet trimmings generated by Hematite manufacturing. This will allow for potential future recycling in the production process. Our proposal achieves increased intrinsic viscosity through the introduction of an additive that will act as a polymer chain extender. Upon extrusion of the samples, the intrinsic viscosity will be measured by employing two methods: melt flow index and Ubbelhode viscometry.
Team members: Ali Khalil, Holly LeSauvage, Elliot McPhail, Carrol Abdul-Samad
REMOVING HYDROCARBONS FROM PARKING LOT RUNOFF WATER
This project aims to remove hydrocarbons present in parking lot runoff, using polymer pads made from recycled tire material. Leaking vehicles in urban centers result in small hydrocarbon deposits on pavement, which are then washed into the stormwater system. The polymer material consists of a combination of fibers, and has oleophilic and hydrophobic properties. Laboratory analysis will determine the final design and fabrication parameters for the polymer pads, to reduce the quantity of hydrocarbons discharged from stormwater into the environment
Team members: Sabrina Chang, Amanda Graham, Chloe Russell, Emily Campbell
TOTAL VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUND, FOGGING, AND FLAMMABILITY IMPROVEMENT FOR LOW-DENSITY POLYURETHANE SPRAY FOAM
This project aims to reduce the environmental impact of vehicle polyurethane spray-foam insulation, through the development and optimization of polyurethane spray foam formulations, by lowering TVOC and fogging output whilst retaining existing flammability properties. Additionally, a production process will be proposed or modified to accommodate the new formulation by means of: evaluating the physical properties of the new formulation and its desideratum, assessing feasible process modifications for the supplier, and researching cost of implementation. Finally, a successful deliverable ensures a ready to implement spray-foam insulation for our supplier.
Team members: Piranavan Rajendran, Hairong Du, Shasvat Rathod
DESIGN OF A SOLAR PANEL RECYCLING PROCESS
Solar energy is a promising form of renewable energy but there is currently no large scale recycling process available for crystalline-silicon photovoltaic solar panels. The purpose of this project was to determine a solution to the end-of-life problem facing the solar industry. This project proposed an assembly line style recycling process for crystalline-silicon photovoltaic solar panels. A cost-benefit analysis was completed to determine the feasibility of the recycling process as a business model.
Team members: Connor O’Brien, Bilal Zafar, Rahim Chagani
DEVELOPMENT OF LIGHTWEIGHT THERMOPLASTIC MATERIALS IN AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS
In collaboration with Ford Motor Company, this design project aims to formulate a lightweight and inexpensive thermoplastic material to replace conventional automotive parts. Traditional talc filler is being replaced in our design by nanocellulose fibers; properties of cellulose prove to give the same performance as conventional talc filler at a lower price and density, while also being biodegradable and abundant. The design also incorporates physical properties testing along with Design of Experiment methodology. Cost and market analyses are also conducted to determine the economical feasibility.
Team members: Yuchen Duan, Shivansh Singh, Yoon Song, Yamen Mouhanna
DESIGN OF AN EXTRUSION LINE FOR PRODUCTION OF THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMERS FROM RECYCLED RUBBER
Our project objective is to design an extrusion line for thermoplastic elastomers made from devulcanized rubber and polypropylene, for the extrusion of window seals used in the automotive industry. Compuplast, often applied in the polymer processing industry, is a modeling software that will be used to design our extrusion line. Once rheological properties of the thermoplastic elastomer are collected from lab experimentation, we can input the collected data in the software to model the material and its behavior, determining the design features of the extruder.
Team members: Kathreena Francisco, Kirishaa Satkunam
DESIGN OF A BATTERY RECYCLING PROCESS FOR SPENT LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES
Our project is the development of a battery recycling process, for spent Lithium-Ion batteries. The aim is to recover high values metals, through the metallurgical process of dissolving the spent batteries in an acid solution. The motivation behind this project is to eliminate the stockpiling of spent Lithium-Ion batteries in landfills by recovering the metals as an alternative source to mining. The process design will be beneficial in understanding the financial implications of recycling spent batteries and the required operating scale for the global market.
Team members: Sami Bagh, Aleisha Cousins, Aafia Tanvir, Eghosa Ogbeifun
ELECTROCHEMICAL PRODUCTION OF FORMIC ACID
Formic acid (HCOOH) is a marketable chemical agent. The first objective of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of formic acid production at the bench-scale, through the design of an electrolytic cell prototype that reduces inlet CO2 to formic acid. Using data from experimental trials and literature, the device is theoretically scaled up to accommodate the CO2 emissions from a standard cement production plant. Break even analysis is used to assess the profitability of formic acid production against projected capital and operating costs.
Team members: Andy Chhoeu, Linyue (Clem) Qiu, Edgar Chan, Andrew Assatory and Hisham Jaffeer
ECONOMIC MODEL PREDICTIVE CONTROL FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES
The objective of this project is to design a process control strategy for the Tennessee Eastman Problem using the Economic Model Predictive Control (EMPC) algorithm for economic optimization which can be applied to other industrial chemical processes. The desired result will produce the most economically optimal parameters to apply to the process and verify savings in operational cost by comparing this project’s result with more commonly used process control strategies to demonstrate the advantages presented by using EMPC.
Team members: Jimmy Singh, Robert Carman, Adam Chanaa, and Abraham Train
SURFACE AREA OPTIMIZATION OF AN ATMOSPHERIC WATER GENERATOR
This project focuses on optimizing the available surface area for condensation on a Peltier device used in an atmospheric water generator. The objective is to model an aluminum fin design, a metal foam design and a fin and foam combination by implementing heat and mass transfer models and COMSOL. The increased surface area should increase the theoretical amount of water produced by the atmospheric water generator. Currently, it has been concluded that operating the device through the use of photovoltaic cells is not economically feasible.
Team members: Emily Glenn, Luzmilla Yousif, Stefanie Bogaert and Matthew Bell
AMMONIA REMOVAL FROM MINING WASTEWATER
Mining wastewater can contain nitrogenous compounds from the detonation of nitrogen-based explosives. The release of these compounds can cause eutrophication in waterways and harm to aquatic life. The goal of this project is to develop a process to treat ammonia-contaminated mining wastewater. Our project will focus on using an advanced oxidation process involving ultraviolet light (254nm) and the complexation of ammonia with hypochlorite to produce monochloramine for irradiation. Experimental verification will be used to assess feasibility and as the basis for a scaled-up process design.
Team members: Jodell Phillip, Jason Jia, Andrew Jiang, Tanique Allen
DESIGN AND PROTOTYPING OF A NITINOL HEAT ENGINE
This project aims to develop a working Nitinol Heat Engine prototype, based around the shape-memory effect of Nitinol metal. The main objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of recovering available low-grade heat from industrial processes and to convert this energy into useful mechanical energy without the need of any intermediate conversions. In addition, this engine has the potential to convert thermal solar energy into useful work through the use of evacuated tube solar collectors, eliminating the need for costly and environmentally damaging photovoltaic solar panels.
Team members: Allan Sangha, Daniel Laroche, Andre Nguyen
POWER TO GAS – A GREEN ENERGY HUB FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURING PLANT IN ONTARIO
Ontario has set regulations on industrial end users to promote investments toward energy efficiency, conservation measures, and cleaner energy technologies. The main goal of the project is to develop a green energy hub that stores off-peak electrical energy as hydrogen gas for an automotive manufacturing plant in Ontario to meet their CO2 emission cap. The energy hub aims to reduce natural gas consumption and greenhouse gas emission. Different hydrogen end use pathways are analyzed as options to provide the best strategy.
Team members: Javan Wang, Hassan Riaz, Sami Barbouti, Peter Tang
DESIGN OF A PHOTOCATALYTIC WATER TREATMENT DEVICE
The objective of our project is the fabrication and testing of a portable and easy-to-use prototype that will enable consumers in developing nations to eliminate organic and microbial pollutants from drinking water using solar photocatalysis. Titanium dioxide, TiO2, will be used as the photocatalyst material, and natural sunlight as the energy source to degrade contaminants. Particular focus will be placed on mitigating the risks of TiO2 exposure, as well as ease of use for the end-user, allowing them to obtain clean water free from TiO2.
Team members: Diogo de Oliveira Livera, Piaopiao Long, Aswathy Ann Thomas, Gareth Toogood-Holmes
DESIGN OF A NOVEL UV WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEM
Conventional wastewater treatment is often unable to successfully remove organic contaminants at low concentrations. Our team has partnered with H2nanO, a nanotechnology startup company, to design a UV-LED reactor that will use TiO2 particles to oxidize organic pollutants. We are using experimental data and computational fluid dynamics simulation software to explore different designs. The optimal reactor will be designed in order to destroy contaminants at a low concentration while reducing energy, maintenance, and operational costs.
Team members: Sam Caldwell (ENVE), Cliff Tuyishime (ChE), Don Tu (ChE), Bernadette Weaver (ENVE)