2020 Research Projects

PhD Research

Sensing dust concentration by imaging

PI: Dr. Kingsly Ambrose

The role of chemical agents (surfactants) and electrostatics in coalescence

PI: Prof. Osman A. Basaran

Safer materials and processing design for next-generation printed electronics

PI: Prof. Letian Dou

New directions in prevention by catalyst design

PI: Prof. Raj Gounder

Optimal placement of detectors and new directions driven by systems engineering approaches (continuing project)

PI: Prof. Carl Laird

Modeling and uncertainty analysis of dust explosion

PI: Prof. Zoltan Nagy

Battery safety by materials design

PI: Prof. Vilas Pol

High-throughput quantum chemical calculation of Benson group values for reliable thermodynamic characterization

PI: Prof. Brett Savoie

Professional M.S. Capstone Research

Real world application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in process safety (AcuTech)

Refine a prototype benchtop tool to be used to screen chemicals for reactivity (Fauske) - cont'd

Role of Shift handover in achieving positive process safety outcomes (Marsh)

Safety Protection system analysis / common cause failures (BP)

Thermal hazards in the pharma industry; Td24 (Amgen)

Heat transfer model for accelerating rate calorimeter (Dow) - cont'd

Safe disposal of drilling fluids from high temperature & pressure wells (Chevron)

Modeling indoor releases of hazardous chemicals (3M)

Undergraduate Research (PI: Prof Ray Mentzer)

Organizational culture - what it consists of, how it's measured and keys to improvement

Partnered w / ACC & Marsh Risk

Survey of heats of reaction for some common reaction types in pharma industry & comparison with CHETAH & TCIT predictions

PI: w / Prof. Brett Savoie
Partnered w / Amgen, Corteva, GSK, JM, Lilly, Merck & Vertex 

Self-ignition of solids, comparison of measurement techniques and determination of kinetic parameters

Partnered w / Corteva

Heat transfer modeling in Accelerating Rate Calorimeter - cont'd

Partnered w / Dow

Condition-based monitoring techniques for valves, pumps & storage tanks

Partnered w / BP

Identification of gaps in inherently safer design analysis methodologies and possible solutions

Partnered w / AcuTech

Other Research (PI: Prof Ray Mentzer - e.g. add'l research by Prof MS & PhD students beyond capstone / thesis)

Factors contributing to US chemical plant process safety incidents from 2010 -2020

Partnered w / ACC & Univ of Utah

Safety shower & eyewash system best practices

Partnered w / CountryMark, SABIC & 3M