RAPID Funded Projects

This project represents a collaboration between the RAPID Module Manufacturing Focus Area (MMFA) and the Construction Industry Institute, within the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. The research objective is to model the total cost of ownership (TCO) for scaling up via modular chemical process intensification (MCPI) and apply this model to four RAPID projects over the remaining course of the effort. This research is important for capturing the lessons learned within module manufacturing activities ongoing within the RAPID Institute and providing a rationale for numbering up via MCPI. Further, this research will help RAPID to apply a consistent means for quantifying the costs involved in MCPI as well as helping the MMFA understand cost drivers as impediments to MCPI adoption. The work plan involves a first year in which the model is developed including literature review and interviews with companies currently engaging in MCPI to identify opportunities for case study development. The second year will involve execution of formal data collection and analysis to understand the TCO for individual MCPI implementations.

One of the key technology gaps identified in the RAPID roadmap was to develop design tools and practices that would reduce the need for non-recurring engineering design costs in modular applications. This project is focused on developing integrated design and operating approaches for modular systems that can be deployed in the treatment of flowback and produced water resulting from shale gas production. Because of the highly distributed nature and variable characteristics of shale-gas wastewater (SGWW), there is a unique opportunity to deploy modular systems. There is also a major challenge in developing tailored designs for each source of wastewater. An integrated theoretical-experimental project is being executed to: (1) Assess, screen and integrate commercially-viable conventional and emerging technologies for wastewater treatment, (2) Develop computer-aided modeling, design, operation, scheduling, and costing approaches for non-recurring engineering needed to deploy the SGWW treatment systems, and (3) Demonstrate proof-of-concept via applications to a broad range of SGWW samples. A combination of systems engineering approaches and experimental/pilot-scale work will be used to generate commercially viable design and operational strategies with significant impact.

This project will demonstrate on-demand separation of multicomponent and multiphase water-oil mixtures using 3D-printed membranes. It is focused on wastewater treatment that is critical to the chemical industry. Application and adoption of intensified process design and 3D-printed membranes offers the prospect of revolutionizing the multicomponent and multiphase water-oil separation. While conventional membranes have been utilized in oil-water separation for some time, demonstration of 3D-printed membranes with well-controlled local structure, which renders the membrane to have multi-selectivity, is still lacking to-date. Moreover, wastewater treatment often involves many steps, and a more intensified process, which is enabled by a single multi-selectivity membrane, is highly desirable. The driving force for the proposed membrane is surface selectivity and topology rather than pressure and has been demonstrated in the laboratory. The present project aims to be a first-of-its-kind demonstration of the validity of the above-mentioned concept for the chemical industry.

This project focuses on overcoming manufacturing and supply chain issues associated with a much needed modular technology solution in the gas processing sector. The team will look to take an existing technology for sour gas cleanup (processing scale on order of 1 T/day sulfur or 1 MMSCFD gas processed) and look to improve benefit vs. cost through pilot testing to improve performance and manufacturing design/analysis to determine highest leverage cost reduction steps. The resulting technology will be piloted in a field test to confirm economic assessments.

Almost every process in the chemical and processing industries (CPI) involves heat transfer. Integrated functioning of a variety of heat exchangers with gas, liquid, and vapor/liquid flows of single- and multi-component working fluids, is critical in any processing plant. Improving air and/or process-side performance can significantly reduce energy consumption and capital costs. This project is looking at the novel geometries and mechanical actuation to enhance heat exchanger performance. The level of improvement, and approach to modification will facilitate the design of both “bolt on” process enhancement for existing equipment and the design of standardized modular heat exchangers. Significant effort in this proposal will focus on taking leads demonstrated in the lab and looking to establish cost effective and scalable manufacturing approaches.

This project is looking to address the primary challenge we see in the module manufacturing space – how we can significantly improve the Manufacturing Readiness Level (MRL) of a high Technical Readiness Level (TRL) technology to open the door for broad deployment. In particular, the team at PNNL and OSU is carrying out a cost/manufacturability study on the piloted STARS technology for solar steam methane reforming. The results of this study will define key economic break points in the production number of STARS process modules that point to “best” methods of mass manufacturing (such as additive manufacturing for production runs on the order of 100 -1000). Within each of these target methods, a cost analysis is carried out to determine where the largest cost drivers exist (e.g. raw material costs) and then modified production approaches are proposed to address these issues and move toward desired production cost targets.