FIRST PRIZE WINNERS

($600 To split)

EVALUATION OF PROGRESSIVE DISTILLATION: Progressive crude distillation (United States Patent number 4,664,785) is being increasingly mentioned as  an energy savings alternative to existing crude fractionation columns. One plant using this technology has been built in Europe and different industrial circles are paying increasing attention. This project shows under what conditions these claims are warranted. The technology involves successively separating increasingly heavier petroleum cuts in a first series of columns. A second series of columns is being fed by the products of the first one. The first series of columns separate loose cuts of the most volatile components fed to each column. Columns in the second series sharpen the cuts and produce naphtha, kerosene, diesel, and gas oil product streams within specification. An asessment of some of the patent claims will be made for a light and a heavy crude.

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GROUNDWATER REMEDIATION: This project discusses the use of computational fluid dynamics and mathematical modeling to optimize groundwater remediation. We use simplified two dimensional models first and Fluent (a well-know fluid flow simulator) to later obtain three-dimensional flow through an aquifer with varying contamination profiles. Different well configuration arrangements, pumping rates, contamination shapes and concentrations to predict the cleaning of a contamination plume with varying shape and concentration profiles, using varying pumping rates, number of wells and configurations. In addition, to optimize the process we consider changing well configurations with time. Examples of successful implementation of our technique will be shown.
     
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SECOND PRIZE WINNERS

($400 To Split)

PROTEIN FOLDING PREDICTION: The search for an accurate and efficient protein conformation predicting method started around 1972 with a theoretical study on the ribonuclease folding. Surprisingly, physicist, chemists, and mathematicians have only been making very minute progress towards the empirical prediction algorithm of three-dimensional protein folding structures. The three most commonly accepted methods used in the past decade consist of homology prediction, folding recognition, and ab initio determination. Our research takes the ab inito approach using computational genetic algorithm (GA) search method. The GA is based on the basic concept of evolutionary natural selection for the “fittest” individual. To this technique we added an adaptation search with gene alteration. We have successfully developed a GA program that minimizes the potential energy of target sequence and generates the corresponding Cartesian coordinates for each atom. By using a three dimensional graphing software, Accelry’s, we were able to visualize the predicted conformation and compare to natural conformation.

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NOVEL METHOD FOR NATURAL GAS SEPARATIONS:  Removal of Nitrogen, CO2 and H2S from gas is an important step in gas conditioning for further separations or direct use. Once these impurities are removed from the gas, thenext step is the removal of ethane and heavier components. The removal of CO2 and H2S is traditionally done through a process called amine sweetening. Nitrogen, in turn is removeUd using membranes or PSA. Finally ethane and heavier components are separated using cryogenics methods. Because these methods are not simple, nor inexpensive, finding alternatives would be beneficial. In this presentation, we will overview the aforementioned methods and we will present the economics of a new technology for separating impurities out from natural gas that has been developed at OU.

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Technical details of the findings on the novel technology are withheld per the request of the Office of Technology Management at the University of Oklahoma. Please contact them or Prof. Bagajewicz for details on how top get access to these details.

THIRD PRIZE WINNERS

($200 To Split)

USE OF HEAT INTEGRATED DISTILLATION TECHNOLOGY IN CRUDE FRACTIONATION: Crude fractionation is a high-energy demand process, requiring approximately 3% of the total energy used in the United States. Currently, there are incentives to reduce energy usage due to rising costs of energy. A recent development in distillation technology that has shown potential savings of up to 60% is the heat-integrated distillation column (HIDC). HIDC columns save energy by recovering excess heat from the rectifying section for usage in the stripping section. However, this technology has only been applied to specific hydrocarbon systems. This study investigates the application of some HIDC concepts in crude fractionation. We will show the new column design and present the results.

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Technical details of the findings on the novel technology part of this project are withheld per the request of the Office of Technology Management at the University of Oklahoma. Please contact them or Prof. Bagajewicz for details on how top get access to these details.

USE OF HYDRATES FOR NATURAL GAS TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE: Natural gas is a valuable fuel with increasing demand is transported from natural reserves to areas of high demand and stored for times when demand exceeds production. In this study, natural gas hydrates were considered as a possibility for the transportation and storage of natural gas. Several designs were considered for the production, shipping, and regasification of natural gas hydrates. Natural gas hydrates were found to be economically less favorable than LNG for the transportation of natural gas primarily due to the lower energy density of natural gas hydrates. However, natural gas hydrates were found to be economically viable for small capacity peak-shaving plants and natural gas storage due to the lower costs associated with natural gas hydrate synthesis.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

ANTIBODY FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON NANOTUBES FOR CANCER THERAPY: Breast cancer is the leading cancer in women today with a projected 1.6 million victims in the US for 2008. This presentation will describe a treatment based on attaching monoclonal antibodies to single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) to selectively target breast cancer cells and then use near-infrared (NIR) radiation to eradicate the tumors. The use of SWNTs as a drug delivery system presents several advantages: small size for easier penetration, ability to complex with other biomolecules for greater applications, and increased specificity to the targeted site. This treatment has already shown success on the laboratory scale, as evidenced by increased cancer cell death and minimal side effects to normal tissues. Our proposed treatment administration is based largely on mathematical models that predict the initial dosage for intravenous injection and NIR radiation emission time as a function of the tumor volume.

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SOFTWARE-BASED PIPELINE LEAK DETECTION: Pipeline leak detection has been a focus of numerous research in industry. There are several methods based on expensive hardware. As an alternative, less costly software based methods have been proposed. These methods make use of the measured flows and pressures to infer through data reconciliation and bias detection methodologies whether a leak or a bias is present. In this presentation, the Generalized Likelihood Ratio (GLR) method proposed by Narasimhan and Mah (1987) is adapted to combined leak detection and instrument bias identification. The methodology is entirely implemented within a simulator..

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PRE-FLASH CRUDE FRACTIONATION: Heat integration of conventional crude fractionation by use of a single preflash unit has shown to be less energy efficient than conventional units alone when maintaining the same product yield. However, there is a reduction in the heat requirement when the flow rate of gas oil is reduced. Marginal improvements have been shown for heavy crude fractionation while maintaining high gas oil yield. This presentations shows the results of use of multiple preflash units in several configurations. The heat integration of conventional units with multiple pre-flash units is analyzed using both light and heavy crude fractionation and compared to purely conventional units. .

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A novel technology was developed. Its technical details are withheld per the request of the Office of Technology Management at the University of Oklahoma. The economic benefits are also given elsewhere. Please contact them or Prof. Bagajewicz for details on how top get access to these details.

NOVEL ANTHRAX COUNTERMEASURES: Anthrax is one of the most significant bioterrorism threats to the United States today. Left untreated, inhalational anthrax, the form most likely to be employed in a bioterrorism event, would claim at least 75% of those infected. Although treatments and a vaccine against anthrax do exist, these also produce adverse side effects and are susceptible to bacterial resistance. In this presentation we present the results of an investigation on the possibility of producing a novel new anthrax treatment with minimal side effects and virtually no possibility of bacterial resistance. The pharmaceutical is based on the innovative combination of two recently discovered components: one component that aids the immune system in defeating an anthrax infection and a “bait” component with which to attack the anthrax in vivo. The probability of successful laboratory development is analyzed in detail. In addition, a thorough evaluation of the FDA process for drug approval is detailed. Finally, an in depth economic analysis is performed on the entire drug production process – from laboratory work to final product. Based on a sample of 500 randomly produced trials, the process is shown to carry a 38% chance of profitability with an average profit between $270M and $320M over the course of a three-year production period. The research and development and FDA approval of this drug is expected to take seven years and cost approximately $15M.

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Technical details of the findings on the novel technology are withheld per the request of the Office of Technology Management at the University of Oklahoma. Please contact them or Prof. Bagajewicz for details on how top get access to these details.

NEW METHODS FOR PIPELINE DESIGN: In this project we outline a new methodology to design natural gas pipelines over a long time horizon considering and determining timely expansions by the addition of compressors. The problem is framed in the context of a capacity expansion problem and is solved using both a mixed integer linear programming model and a non-linear model. We compare our methodology to the current state-of-the-art methodologies, highlighting the limitations of the latter and showing the advantages of the former, especially in the case of branched networks.

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OPTIMAL PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULING IN PROCESS PLANTS: Optimization of maintenance scheduling can save a processing plant substantial operating expenses. This work expands upon a previously developed methodology for assessing the effectiveness of preventative and corrective maintenance-scheduling guidelines on a chemical processing plant. Here, the model is applied to a larger plant than it was previously tested on and is expanded to include a risk analysis. In addition, a genetic algorithm is used to optimize all variables simultaneously. Optimal parameters such as labor force size and preventative maintenance intervals are presented for the larger plant.

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OTHER (ALSO GOOD) PROJECTS

(No particular Order)

EVALUATION OF SQUALESTATIN 1 AS AN ENZYME INHIBITOR FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL: In this presentation we analyze the feasibility of manufacturing and commercialization of a novel enzyme inhibitor (Squalestatin 1) of cholesterol synthesis. The goal is to propose a drug capable of lowering at least 50% of the total cholesterol level in patients dealing with high serum levels with the highest efficacy. This was done by analyzing the FDA and manufacturing processes, equipment pricing, manufacturing prices and determining highest demand for the drug, therefore, determining the best price for the drug. The success of this enterprise will mainly repose on the likelihood of its approval by the FDA and its marketing strategy. To establish this, the FDA process was subdivided with a specific goal at each step. Research has shown that Squalestatin 1 lowers serum cholesterol levels by 50% using a 10-20 mg/day dosage. The best price for this drug and the specified market was determined to be $1.33 per unit. The duration of the project is approximately 20 years including the FDA approval process. The total capital investment for this production is $68 million dollars with a manufacturing cost of $271 million/year. Based on the observed trends in NPV, ROI, and cash flow in addition to the benefits this drug would bring to a patient, it can be anticipated that the project will be successful.

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MICROCAPSULE-BASED DRUG DELIVERY: Significant advances in drug delivery technology have been made over the past two decades. One of the most important of these advances is the development of long acting drug injections. These long acting drug injections allow for a drug to be continually released for time periods exceeding one month. This biotechnology has obvious implications, such as higher patient compliance and the convenience of one dose opposed to multiple doses. Many drugs such as Haloperidol (a psychosomatic drug) and Naltrexone (an opioid antagonist drug) have recently been made available as long acting injections in the form of microspheres. Prescribing these long acting medications is no easy task. Doctors will need tools and methods to aid them in achieving optimal blood plasma drug concentrations (BPDC) in their patients. This presentation will overview one methodology that will allow doctors to prescribe the right amount and diamter distribution to be injected. An economic analysis is also included to assess the profitability of producing microsphere injections, specifically for alcoholism, in the pharmaceutical market.  

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ANTICAVITY TOOTHPASTE DESIGN: Dental caries present a unique health problem and are considered a widespread infectious disease. If the prevalence of caries could be decreased, Americans could save the money, time, and personal pain involved with dental services for caries. A novel active ingredient has been explored as an additive for a dentifrice, extracted from the byproduct of wine-making, grape pomace. This polyphenolic extract shows strong inhibitory power toward the virulence factors of oral bacteria, such as the production of polysaccharides and acid. A consumer preference model is used to connect consumer survey data to a product composition for toothpaste, including the polyphenolic extract. This exercise results in a product composition that boasts 98% consumer satisfaction and a selling price that maximizes profit.

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COMMERCIALIZATION OF N2 RICH NATURAL GAS RESERVOIRS: With the natural gas supply in the United States not being able to support the nations demand for natural gas, the US will either have to find more sources for natural gas or import more natural gas from foreign countries. One of the potential sources to increase natural gas supply is to use nitrogen rich natural gas. The objective of this study is to identify and analyze potential uses for nitrogen rich natural gas reserves. An economic analysis will be shown on the feasibility of production and commercialization of nitrogen rich natural gas. The separation options include the purification of natural gas by cryogenic distillation, pressure swing adsorption, membranes, and molecular gate technology. The commercialization options include conversion of methane to synthesis gas and its derivates and combustion of natural gas for power generation. A mathematical model was built to determine the best process combination based on maximizing net present worth.

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TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL GAS USING LIQUID CARRIERS AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE : Natural gas is currently transported with very established methods like Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). A new technology is being researched for transporting natural gas at ambient temperatures and moderate pressures using liquefied hydrocarbons or other solvents. An economic analysis of this technology is essential to implementing it as a viable method for transportation. In this presentation we will cover the results of the economic impact of loading and unloading of the natural gas and the transportation itself. This method will also be compared to the existing methods. .  

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USE OF MEMBRANES IN NATURAL GAS SEPARATIONS: Membranes are increasingly becoming a viable alternative to conventional gas separation technologies such as amine sweetening, pressure swing adsorption and cryogenic distillation. The design of an efficient and economically feasible membrane network is usually performed through step by step comparison of various designs, and flow patterns. We will present an optimization approach that allows the various designs to be compared simultaneously while choosing the optimal separation system. The model is based on mixed-integers nonlinear programming (MINLP) and is based on the concept of superstructures (all possible flowsheets put together from which one is picked).

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SWITCHGRASS TO FUELS: Due to government mandate requiring that an increasing percentage of gasoline be derived from renewable fuels, concerns about the environment, and a need to decrease U.S. dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels, renewable resources have become an important research topic. In particular, there is a desire to develop a liquid fuel suitable for use in automotive engines. One process currently under consideration for this goal is pyrolysis of bio mass. This process uses switchgrass and other cellulosic material to produce a liquid bio-oil. This bio-oil contains too many oxygenates to be used in a car engine. Therefore, research into a catalytic deoxygenation process to upgrade this oil is underway. This presentation will evaluate the design of a pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading system that will produce a liquid fuel. The economic potential for this process will be highlighted and recommendations for future work will be provided.

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WATER MANAGEMENT IN PROCESS PLANTS: Water management in process plants have been the object of several studies in which the option of reusing water in effective ways has been explored. In addition, the possibility of regenerating freshwater out of polluted water to further reuse it has been mentioned. The extreme case of this is the so-called zero-liquid discharge cycles, which has been found possible and even economically beneficial in certain cases. One of the shortcomings of all these methods is that they do not incorporate good information about water treatment costs, both operating and investment. After explaining the overall problem and showing some of the exiting results, this presentation will focus on showing how one can generate generalized correlations of these costs so that they can be incorporated in the mathematical optimization models used to design water reuse/regeneration systems.

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GENERATION OF THERMOCHEMICAL CYCLES FOR H2 PRODUCTION THROUGH WATER SPLITTING: The diminishing supply of hydrocarbons and their negative environmental impact has resulted in a great need to find alternative energy sources. Hydrogen production from the chemical decomposition of water using multiple reactions resulting in the net production of hydrogen and oxygen are termed water splitting cycles. Previous work at OU focused on developing good efficiency evaluation procedures. In this presentation we describe a computer algorithm that was implemented to find new potential water splitting cycles and evaluate their thermodynamic feasibility. The goal is to find cycles that are viable at low reaction temperatures.

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ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF STRANDED NATURAL GAS HYDRATES: With the supply of conventional energy sources on a decline and the demand for them increasing, the need for a large and stable supply of unconventional resources is growing fast. Natural gas hydrates are a potential source of large amounts of natural gas that can be found on the ocean floor and in permafrost regions, such as Alaska, Siberia and eastern Russia. This presentation shows the results of studies about the commercial feasibility of producing natural gas hydrates from the peninsula region of Kamchatka, Russia and selling it to markets in either China or Japan. A production model was constructed to determine the logistics of surface equipment placement. In addition, the difference in prices between transporting the produced natural gas via pipeline and tanker ship were compared. Preliminary calculations compare the commercial viability of constructing an LNG plant on the western coast of Kamchatka to selling gas to China via pipeline.

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EVALUATION OF LNG PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGIES: There are numerous documented methods for the liquefaction of natural gas but only a handful are actually implemented commercially. The liquefaction process requires the natural gas to be cooled using various methods of cryogenic processes and also be depressurized to atmospheric conditions for easier and safer storage. This presentation shows the result of an analysis of twelve total processes based on their capacity, fixed costs and their operating efficiency. Eight of the eleven processes are currently established in various parts of the world. The four remaining processes are in developmental stages and each patent description is used to simulate each process and determine its feasibility in industry. The equipment and utility costs are determined for different capacities. The most economical processes as a function of capacity will be identified.

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HALL OF FAME OF HARD WORKERS

(Two Rows needed this year)

The following students deserve especial recognition for their hard work and . A maximum of 6 students are usually recognized here but this exceptional year, 12 are mentioned. There was about 10 other hard workers in the list of qualified students. 

                                    
              Jenny Cochran       Daniel Dobesh        Stephanie English           Su Zhu                     Rufei Lu               David Mannel

                                   
            Jonathan Peters   Christopher Wilson        Mary Page             Jesse Sandlin             Nina Wright           Kyung H. Kim