Energy & Environment Group

Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability ()

Prairie View A&M University

Raghava R. Kommalapati, PhD, PE, BCEE, F. ASCE, Director

The Center for Energy & Environmental Sustainability (CEES) supports rigorous and expanding program of research in the areas of renewable energy and environmental sustainability. CEES will focus on developing innovative technical solutions to complex environmental problems occurring at various phases of energy production and consumption. Through the Summer Research Experience Program (SREP) CEES provides opportunities to engage high school and undergraduate students on research questions that are necessary to fill critical gaps in the future utilization of environmentally responsible and sustainable energy solutions. The Center consists of a diverse team of faculty, post-doctoral researchers and graduate students from five engineering departments: Chemical, Civil & Environmental, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. Undergraduate and high school students would work closely with graduate students and faculty members during the SREP to gain valuable experience in current research projects and improve their understanding in STEM subject areas.Following are the three topics available for 2017 SREP.

Topic 1: Air Quality Measurement of Poultry Farms in Texas

The aim of this research project is to investigate the air quality of poultry farms in Texas. Previous studies have shown that livestock farms emit particulate matter, ammonia, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hydrogen sulfides, and carbon dioxides at levels that are harmful to human health pollutants, while also weaken the immune strength and productivity of livestock such as swine, goats, cows and poultry. These emissions have the ability to impact not only nearby areas but areas at a distance from the livestock farms. However few have researched the quantity of ozone and VOCs emitted from livestock farms. There is no research about the levels of ozone and VOCs in poultry farms in Texas, especially in the Greater Houston area, which experiences the ozone pollution. This project will offer undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity for research experiences in air quality measurement. Students will be given the opportunity to gain experiences in formulating a research paper by learning laboratory and instrumental procedures while determining air quality measurements. This project will focus on quantifying the levels of ozone and VOCs in poultry farms in Texas. At first, students will be trained how to use a Thermo Scientific pDR 1500 aerosol monitor and Teledyne Advance Pollution gas analyzers including CO, H2S, NH3,CO2, NOx, SO2 and O3, a VOC analyzer to measure air quality in lab and on campus. Then, students will be tasked to travel to various poultry farms in Texas with Teledyne Advance Pollution gas analyzers, ThermoScientific PM Analyzers and a VOC analyzer to quantify the emission rates of ozone, VOCs and other gas pollutants. Measurements will be taken both inside and outside of the facility to determine how the indoor emissions affect the outdoor air quality. These quantities will justify the emissions ability to escape from facilities and how these farms impact the surrounding areas.

Expectations fromstudent researchers:

  1. Literature search for poultry farm air quality measurement
  2. Understand the mechanism of ozone formation
  3. Learn the operation of the gas analyzers from us in our lab
  4. Go to some field trips, monitor air quality with various gas analyzers and record the data with our graduate student
  5. Analyze data, write reports and give a final presentation

Topic 2: Post Combustion Carbon (CO2) Capture Using Polyethylenimine Functionalized Titanate Nanotubes

This ongoing research aims at developing a novel nanomaterial to efficiently capture CO2 from the flue gas in fossil energy power generation. This novel nanomaterial will have the advantages of the unique porous properties of titanate (TiO2-derived) nanotubes and the adsorption features of impregnated polyethylenimine (PEI). The major objectives of the proposed research are to (i) develop a protocol to synthesize and characterize PEI impregnated TiO2 nanotubes, and (ii) Utilizing CFD model simulations (which are validated using experimental data) to design and optimize carbon capture reactor and the operating parameters. The current research status is that The synthesis process of titanate nanotubes is being optimized using a hydrothermal method with various experimental parameters, such as reaction time and temperature, and PEI functionalization is being conducted using a wet impregnation method, which is commonly used for amine functionalization. The CO2 absorption capacity of the adsorbent is going to be tested at lab level with our experimental set up (Figure 1). The CO2 capture with the PEI impregnated TiO2 nanotubes from simulated flue gas is also being studied using CFD simulations.

Schematic of CO2 capture

Expectations from student researchers:

  1. Literature search for CO2 capture with polyamines
  2. Understand the mechanism of titanate nanotube fabrication with hydrothermal treatment
  3. Synthesis of titanate nanotubes from titanium dioxide powder at the industrial grad
  4. Conduct the lab-level experiments of CO2 absorption independently
  5. Finish some technical reports about the research projects

Topic 3: Analysis of Ozone Air Quality in Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Area

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six criteria air pollutants: particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), ground level ozone (O3) and oxides of nitrogen (NOX) and sulfur (SO2). Formation of ground level ozone is a result of photochemical reaction between volatile organic compounds (VOC) and NOX. Exposure to high concentrations of ozone causes and aggravates several respiratory health problems in vulnerable populations. The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area (HGB) is classified as a marginal nonattainment area for ozone according to 2008 NAAQS. This situation is expected to deteriorate with the adoption of stringent 8-hr ozone NAAQS of 70 ppb in 2015. The State of Texas is required to submit a state implementation plan (SIP) to EPA in order to bring HGB into attainment with the latest NAAQS. HGB area is host to several sources of VOC and NOX emissions due to the presence of a large number of petrochemical industrial facilities/vehicular traffic and characterized by unique weather patterns. This combination makes the HGB area a complex case in air quality planning. Meteorological variables such as temperature, solar radiation and wind speed play a significant role in creating favorable conditions to formation of high concentrations of ground level ozone. In presence of meteorological fluctuations, it is difficult to detect changes and trends in ozone levels occurring due to changes in emissions. In this research we will be using statistical methods to filter out the influence of meteorology on ozone concentrations to detect long-term trends in ambient ozone in the HGB area. Results from the study will facilitate the assessment of successes and shortcomings of air quality planning in HGB area over the last 3 decades and also serve as baseline estimates in analyzing the impact of climate change on air quality in the HGB area.

Ground level ozone formation Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Area

Expectations from student researchers:

  1. Conduct literature search for published ozone air quality studies covering the HGB area
  2. Understand the mechanism of ozone formation from reaction between NOX and VOC
  3. Identify the most important meteorological variables needed to be considered
  4. Identify sources of ozone and weather data in the HGB area and develop a long term database.
  5. Apply statistical tools and techniques to separate long term trends and short term noise in data