Progress 05/01/23 to 04/30/24
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:We are working with theAwards Management Division in theOffice of Grants and Financial Management toremoveBiofine as a subrecipient to Award # 2023-67021-39606 without compromising the funding or deliverables for the award. Dr. Fitzpatrick and Biofine will not be able to complete their scope of work as proposed. Dr. Fitzpatrick has repeatedly acknowledged that he does not have the time nor desire to work on this project and would instead have the University of Maine conduct his portion of the research. It was also established that the University of Maine will not be conducting the testing as it was originally proposed to USDA. With this said we areasking to reallocate the $74,594 originally budgeted to Biofine, back to NIU to allow NIUto conduct the testing in house. NIU has provided USDA with an updated scope of work, budget and budget justification. ? What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?There have been three articles published in media as listed below: $650K USDA award to NIU could lead to world's first biomass pipeline USDA Awards NIU $650K For Biomass Pipeline Feasibility Study Also I presented this project in 17th Annual International Biomass conference in Richmond, VA, in March 2024: Vaezi, M.; Pipeline Hydro-Transport Of Biomass Feedstock For Biofuel Production Purposes; 17th Annual International Biomass conference; Richmond, VA; 04-06 Mar, 2024 What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?With the completion of the pipeline facility equipping and instrumentation, I am planning to start the experiments by testing the woodchips provided by the consultant in Maine. These are the same woodchips will be pumped in the actual pipeline to be built in Eastport, ME, in near future. Collecting mechanical properties, as well as power consumptions, will help complete the techno-economic analysis of the woodchips pipeline in Maine.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Created a 3D SolidWorks drawing with all joints exploded. There was no way to add flexible hosing to the drawing, so we constructed 3D hollow pipes to substitute for the hoses. Made a SmartDraw 2D drawing that showed the locations of sensors and provided a simple visualization of the pipeline. The tanks depicted are not the exact same tanks used in the project but are similar to what we have. Created an inventory in Excel and labeled lab shelving to better locate parts. Updated the inventory occasionally to adjust part count. It is assumed that every 1 to 3 months of work required more parts, which were ordered and picked up from an office or a building. When creating the inventory, shelving was needed, so unused shelving was retrieved from another location and installed. Some shelving was also ordered and bought. A table was rebuilt with a shelving unit on it and moved to an appropriate space within the lab. Inadequate shelving was removed from the lab, and glass tubes and large measuring equipment were put into storage elsewhere. Some smaller equipment was removed from storage and brought to the lab. As the pipeline project was being constructed, an operational procedures page was made for all equipment used. Safety meetings and paperwork were attended for the lab and the machine. Later, an operation procedures page was started for the pipeline itself. Some lab materials needed to be used by NIU's electrical team to verify the installation of wiring and control panels. VFDs and emergency stop buttons were placed around the lab, and electrical outlets, air hose outlets, and water outlets were installed. The lab door was readjusted, and a lock was placed. The floor was swept and cleaned to install a silicon plastic-based waterproof barrier around the lab's edges. This was measured, cut, and installed with silicon sealant to reinforce it. The barrier was tested, removed, cleaned, remeasured, and reinstalled due to initial inadequacies. Sanded down and painted the base frame and mismatched bracing red to ensure visibility and prevent rust. Most pipe bracing was cut using a measuring tape and a band saw on square tubing, round tubing, and angle iron. The base framing, bracing, and angle iron requiring welding were welded as follows: structural base framing (stick welded), structural bracing (MIG and TIG welded), and angle iron (TIG welded). Two types of band saws were used: a heavy-duty one and a small Milwaukee one. A Piranha II iron worker was used to fabricate some structural bracing. A jack was used to lift the base frame and attach feet. The mix tank was modeled in CAD, reassembled, and structurally braced to prevent excess vibration. The bottom structure was welded to hold the pipes allowing the mix tank to empty into the pump. The top was rebuilt, and a brace was added. Motor, shaft, and propellers were measured and aligned. Later, the motor was replaced, and the top bracing was rebuilt and realigned. An order was placed to replace the shaft and propellers. The bottom of the mixing tank had piping installed, initially braced with wood and later with angle iron MIG welded to the structure. The piping was connected to the tank via a plastic connection and gasket, which was later replaced with a superior metal connection and gasket. The filtration tank was modeled in CAD and revised three times. It was built using four wire tubes for the filters, with waterjet-cut top lips MIG welded onto the filters. A 100-gallon tank was used, with the top cut off and the bottom dremeled out. PVC piping was constructed to connect to the holes in the bottom, sealed with PVC concrete primer and sealant. The tank was sealed with a cam and groove male end, with polycarbonate used to hold the filters. A sheet of wood was cut, tested, and adjusted. Polycarbonate rods were turned on a lathe and fitted with adjustable bolts. The structure was disassembled and reassembled twice for fitting. The top of the tank was fitted with clamps and rivets and sealed with silicon. All threaded pipe ends were sealed using a combination of thread tape and Loctite thread sealant. After the initial assembly, the thread tape was replaced with Loctite. Pipes were rebuilt multiple times to ensure proper fitment and sealing. Before testing, an emergency shutoff button was wired into the system. Additional wiring included testing the VFD and adding a flow meter to control water distribution. A closed-loop systems test was conducted twice. The mix tank was filled with 50 gallons of water, and hoses were connected to the pump. The system was tested for leaks and ran successfully after adjustments. Gaskets were added between all bolted flanges. High-pressure pipe flanges and gaskets were bolted to stainless steel pipes and connected to the pump via hose. Additional supports and strut channels were installed to prevent sagging and leaks. A second pipeline, parallel to the first, was constructed using similar methods. The motor for the propeller was relocated and centered with the mixing tank. A wye pipe fitting was added to distribute flow between pipelines. All connections and supports were secured using appropriate bolts, nuts, and sealants. Floor mounts and strut channels were installed to support the pipelines. The full pipeline was tested again, running up to 1000 rpm without leaks after adjustments. A Productivity 2000 PLC was ordered from Automation Direct and built, and a screen was wired to it. The program was loaded onto a laptop, and the PLC systems were connected. Some learning was required to understand this PLC type. A basic ladder program was run, which showed that the PLC accepted the given program. Further research was done to determine how to create a custom screen for the PLC program and the tools needed to control the sensors in the project. A basic functional control panel was programmed into the screen. The control panel controlled the PLC unit and, in turn, sent signals to each other. A program is being developed to wire the PLC to specific sensors and pressure transducers that will be placed around the pipeline and into the pipes themselves.
Publications
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