Grantee Research Project Results

2004 Progress Report: Reduction of Environmental Impact and Improvement of Intrinsic Security in Unsteady-state

EPA Grant Number: R831276C013
Subproject: this is subproject number 013 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant CR831276
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: Gulf Coast HSRC (Lamar)
Center Director: Ho, Tho C.
Title: Reduction of Environmental Impact and Improvement of Intrinsic Security in Unsteady-state
Investigators: Lou, Helen , Hopper, Jack R. , Gossage, John
Institution: Lamar University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: December 1, 2003 through November 30, 2004
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2003 through November 30, 2004
Project Amount: Refer to main center abstract for funding details.
RFA: Gulf Coast Hazardous Substance Research Center (Lamar University) (1996) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Targeted Research

Objective:

The objective of this research project is to develop a fundamental-based technology that can enhance the environmental, safety, and security performance of exothermic reaction systems where toxic or hazardous chemicals are present. In this endeavor, the principal investigators (PIs) will use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques to analyze and enhance these systems from the design and operation point of view. The main focus will be on the reaction system behavior (both temporal and spatial) under abnormal conditions.

Progress Summary:

The PIs studied a number of reaction systems that are highly exothermic and have environmental, safety and security concerns. The research team has been using the CFD software, Fluent, to reveal the system operational details in three dimensions and to identify effective strategies for preventing harmful emission, toxic discharge, reactor rupture, and explosion. To capture the physical, chemical, and hydrodynamic information of the reaction system, the user defined functions (UDFs) in Fluent have been developed. Some micromixing UDFs have been used to accommodate the fast reaction rates as compared to the mixing rates. A continuous-flow stirred tank reactor and batch and plug flow reaction system under normal operation conditions each has been constructed on a cluster of dual-processor computers. To speed up the computation, parallel-computing scheme was adopted. The spatially distributed dynamic profiles of chemicals, temperature, pressure, conversion rate, and other physical and chemical properties have been reviewed. Simulation results have been verified with the software Aspen, and open literatures.

Future Activities:

The major activities in the future are to: (1) develop and test runaway mitigation technology and develop of Matlab modules; and (2) characterize runaway system for continuous systems.

The abnormal conditions to be considered in this project will include, for example, the lowering or loss of cooling power, agitator malfunction, and significant change in the flow rates and concentrations of the feed(s). The CFD models of the reaction systems developed in Phase I will be used as a virtual plant for the development of inhibition methods. This will facilitate the investigation of the optimal inhibition mechanisms for different reaction kinetics under different local conditions. In study, the PIs will determine the exact location, amount, and time for automatic inhibitor injection using pressurized air or inert gas, with loss of mechanical agitation and cooling.

With the significant progress achieved so far, the PIs are very confident in the successful continuation of this research work in the coming years.

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 5 publications for this subproject

Supplemental Keywords:

runaway reactions, computational fluid dynamics, waste, ecological risk assessment, environmental engineering, hazardous waste, advanced treatment technologies, bioremediation, contaminated waste sites, groundwater contamination, petroleum contaminants, hydrocarbon,, RFA, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Waste, Hazardous, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Chemistry, Hazardous Waste, Environmental Engineering, environmentally benign manufacturing, hazardous waste management, preventing hazardous emissions, environmentally acceptable endpoints, computational fluid dynamics, exothermic reaction systems, security hazard

Relevant Websites:

http://dept.lamar.edu/gchsrc/ Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

Final

Main Center Abstract and Reports:

CR831276    Gulf Coast HSRC (Lamar)

Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R831276C001 DNAPL Source Control by Reductive Dechlorination with Fe(II)
R831276C002 Arsenic Removal and Stabilization with Synthesized Pyrite
R831276C003 A Large-Scale Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Ethanol on Groundwater Contamination
R831276C004 Visible-Light-Responsive Titania Modified with Aerogel/Ferroelectric Optical Materials for VOC Oxidation
R831276C005 Development of a Microwave-Induced On-Site Regeneration Technology for Advancing the Control of Mercury and VOC Emissions Employing Activated Carbon
R831276C006 Pollution Prevention through Functionality Tracking and Property Integration
R831276C007 Compact Nephelometer System for On-Line Monitoring of Particulate Matter Emissions
R831276C008 Effect of Pitting Corrosion Promoters on the Treatment of Waters Contaminated with a Nitroaromatic Compounds Using Integrated Reductive/Oxidative Processes
R831276C009 Linear Polymer Chain and Bioengineered Chelators for Metals Remediation
R831276C010 Treatment of Perchlorate Contaminated Water Using a Combined Biotic/Abiotic Process
R831276C011 Rapid Determination of Microbial Pathways for Pollutant Degradation
R831276C012 Simulations of the Emission, Transport, Chemistry and Deposition of Atmospheric Mercury in the Upper Gulf Coast Region
R831276C013 Reduction of Environmental Impact and Improvement of Intrinsic Security in Unsteady-state
R831276C014 Integrated Chemical Complex and Cogeneration Analysis System: Greenhouse Gas Management and Pollution Prevention Solutions
R831276C015 Improved Combustion Catalysts for NOx Emission Reduction
R831276C016 A Large-Scale Experimental Investigation of the Impact of Ethanol on Groundwater Contamination
R831276C017 Minimization of Hazardous Ion-Exchange Brine Waste by Biological Treatment of Perchlorate and Nitrate to Allow Brine Recycle
R831276C018 Integrated Chemical Complex and Cogeneration Analysis System: Greenhouse Gas Management and Pollution Prevention Solutions