2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Our program focuses on exposing undergraduate students to graduate-level research with industrial applications. By collaborating with industries, we ensure that the research and development that the students are focused on is relevant to the real world and provides value. Here we present a case study of one of our projects which focused on the lubricant manufacturing industry. Lubricant manufacturing and processing facilities produce a variety of products. These products are processed in batches through a single pipeline system. To maintain the integrity of individual batches, the lines have to be cleaned between changeover operations. To clean the residual product a process of pigging, draining, and then flushing is conducted. Flushing involves the use of the next product being processed in the line. This results in the mixing/commingling of the residual product and the upcoming product. The commingled product cannot be used for the desired application and is therefore classified as a downgraded having to be sold as a lower-value lubricant. This results in tremendous economic losses to these industries. To this end, the focus of our work is to optimize the flushing operations and minimize the losses currently experienced by these industries.
Through our student-faculty-industry collaboration program, the students received the opportunity to work with a lubricant manufacturing industry that is one of the world leaders in manufacturing finished petroleum products. The students gained an abundance of industrial experience by interacting with industry engineers and scientists through regular meetings over the course of the semester. In addition, they also scheduled several visits to the plant in order to understand and model the industrial operations. Through their plant visits the students measured and observed the complex pipeline network at the facility and developed a process flow diagram to mimic the system in the form of an experimental rig at our laboratory. Through well-designed experiments, the students applied the fundamentals of chemical engineering principles and came up with procedural enhancements to optimize the existing flushing operations at the partnered facility. The procedural improvements were then scaled up to plant scale and implemented at the facility. The students trained the plant operators to conduct the flushing operations with enhanced techniques. The improvements resulted in the minimization of the downgraded product to over 30%. Alongside the students also conducted rigorous data analysis, laboratory tests, and extensive literature reviews to enhance their creative thinking and come up with innovative solutions. Good communication and teamwork are among the most important traits needed in a good engineer. This project also gave the students an opportunity to communicate the results and ideas with a wide variety of audiences including professors, technical industry contacts, and managerial industry contacts. In addition, the students gained hands-on report writing and documentation of their work. Frequent technical presentations advanced the team’s communication and soft skills. Creating these connections from industry and classroom knowledge has strengthened the team as engineers and helped prepare them for future endeavors.