Biodiesel Acid Water Washing

Water washing is a technique that is used to separate the dispersed contaminants (such as, potassium salt, glycerin, and methanol) in biodiesel. During the process water is sprayed onto the biodiesel, polarity of water separates contaminants from biodiesel. The contaminants are denser than the biodiesel so after separation, the contaminants sink leaving a purified biodiesel. Some biodiesel can be lost during this process. The goal of this project is to add an acidic solution to the wash water before it is sprayed on the biodiesel

UTILIZING BIOREACTORS TO REMOVE​ DISSOLVED NUTRIENTS IN WASTEWAT

An abundance of nutrients wastewater, including nitrogen and phosphorus, has led to algae covering the walls and floors of three pools within one water treatment system for the sponsor. Although algae growth within water systems poses no severe health risk, the amount of growth (up to 10,000 square feet) is an aesthetic issue. The goal is to design and implement a bioreactor to remove the dissolved nutrients attributed to algae growth in the water. After researching different types of biological filters, the solution that fits within constraints best is an attached growth biological filter with plastic media

Order Parameter and Director Angle to Evaluate Electric Barriers

Electric barriers are currently located in the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) to prevent invasive Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan. However, Asian carp are not the only invasive species that may enter Lake Michigan through the CAWS. Smaller invasive invertebrates are also potentially very harmful to the lake’s ecosystem. This research focuses on how the conditions of the electric barrier affect other invasive species present in the Mississippi River Basin nearing the CAWs