Project 1.

Isolate new yeasts for cell factories

Project module: Applied Microbiology

Supervisor: Jens Laurids Sørensen

Several commercial compounds are produced by microorganisms in industrial cell factories. One of the most
common used organisms is Saccharomyces cerevisiae (baker’s yeast), which can be genetically engineered to
produce the desired compounds. There are however only a limited number of isolates that are being used and
the focus on this project is to find and isolate new yeasts and determine their potential use as production
strains.

You will isolate the yeasts from sources of your own choice (food, soil, water etc.) and determine their identity
with molecular methods (PCR and sequence analyses). You will then determine the growth characteristics of
the yeasts (speed, temperature and pH tolerance, nutrient requirements). The most promising strains can then
be genetically modified to produce a desired pigment by inserting an existing plasmid into the cells.

During the project you will learn important techniques for microbiology (media preparation, inoculation,
cultivation, sterility) and molecular biotechnology (DNA isolation, PCR, sequence aligning and analyses).
Project 2. Isolate new pigment producing bacteria

Project module: Applied Microbiology

Supervisor: Jens Laurids Sørensen

Some bacteria produce pigments belonging to the groups of phenazines as a defense mechanism against other
microorganisms. Phenazines have also electrochemical properties and can potentially be used in batteries to
store excess energy from solar panels and windmills. To avoid patent issues, we need our own strains if we
want to produce phenazines for a commercial battery. Your task will be isolate phenazine producing bacteria
from environmental samples using a special selective isolation medium. The isolated strains will be identified
by molecular methods (PCR and sequence analyses). It will also be possible to analyze the genes required for
phenazine biosynthesis and perform experiments to quantify the production.

During the project you will learn important techniques for microbiology (media preparation, inoculation,
cultivation, sterility) and molecular biotechnology (DNA isolation, PCR, sequence aligning and analyses).
Project 3. Renewable-based Polyurethanes

Project module: Applied Microbiology/Material science

Supervisors: Jens Laurids Sørensen and Morten Enggrob Simonsen (Collaboration with Polytech)

Materials made from renewable raw sources is an important and growing subject within polymers. Especially
within polyurethanes there has been a growing market of polyols that originates from bio-based sources. The
bio-based polyols can originate from different sources such as microalgae, natural oil, carbohydrates,
lignocellulose, and tannins. The resulting polyol is very much dependent on the bio-based material being used
as raw material and therefore different sources can be investigated.

At Polytech there is a constant focus on innovating the materials we use and ensure that it is being done with a
high degree of sustainability. Therefore, incorporation of bio-based polyols in our materials without
compromising on the end properties is an especially interesting research area. Interestingly some of the bio-
based polyols offer end properties in polyurethanes that outperforms their crude oil counterparts. We will be
able to provide ready-made formulations of polyols and selection of isocyanates that can be used to test how
the amount of bio-based polyols affects the properties of the final cured polyurethane.

Project Scope

This project will focus on the development of polyurethanes where part of the material will originate from a
bio-based material. The project is meant as a project-based learning introduction to the theoretical and
practical aspects of turning bio-based material into a usable polyurethane.

Some of the key questions that are to be answered could be.

a. Which bio-based sources can be used for manufacture of polyols?

b. Which growth conditions will lead to favourable conditions for achieving the highest output and the
highest quality?
c. Which processes are used to transfer bio-based sources into usable raw material for polyols?
d. How can the raw materials be OH-functionalized?
e. How will the bio-based raw materials affect the end properties of polyurethanes?

Properties such as molecular weight, OH-number, functionality and viscosity of the polyols are needed to
incorporate them in formulations. Additionally, the final polyurethane properties as a function of the amount
of bio-based polyol, such as hardness and mechanical properties is a critical element to understand where the
final polyurethane can be used.
Project 4. In-House Recycling of TPU

Project module: Material science

Supervisors: Morten Enggrob Simonsen

In recent years, the practice of recycling has been encouraged and promoted by increasing awareness in
environmental matters and the subsequent desire to save resources and to keep material resource in the
loop if possible, in accordance with Circular economy principles (see Figure 1)

Figure 1: Circular economy (Ellen MacArthur foundation)

Together with the relatively high cost of polymers and sometimes high levels of scrap material
generated during manufacture, in-house recycling becomes a viable and attractive option. The recycling
of scrap thermoplastic material, and mixing with virgin material, is the most common solution.
However, polymers, especially during in-house recycling may undergo thermal, thermo-oxidative and
mechano-chemical degradation. These degradation processes may affect the structure of the polymer
and therefore the properties of the polymer may deteriorate significantly during recycling at high
temperatures and shear stresses, which the material is subject to during the injection moulding process.
A sketch of the injection moulding machine is included in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Principle of injection moulding machine

Project Scope

The focus of this project is to evaluate the effect in-house recycling on thermal, chemical, and
mechanical properties of a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material as well as the combined
recycling and accelerated weathering.
The students will be provided with tensile test specimens of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) with
glasfibre reinforcement with varying levels of regrind material added to the virgin material.
A test plan will be made to investigate the effect of recycling on the material properties. This could
involve
 Evaluation of how the regrind content influences mechanical properties like tensile strength, E-
modulus, and elongation at break at RT, -40 and 50°C, as well as impact strength.
 Evaluation of how regrind content influences the chemical structure and thermal properties
using FTIR, DSC, and TGA
 Evaluation how the combined effect of in-house recycling (regrind content) and accelerated
weathering influences mechanical and / or chemical properties
5. Offshore separation train for reservoir fluids
Project module:: Petrochemical Separation Processes
Supervisor: Marco Maschietti

In the North Sea oil, gas, and water coming from the wells are separated on offshore platforms. The
aim of topside separation is to produce oil and gas respecting specifications for export to onshore
facilities. On the other hand, the separated water may be re-injected into the reservoir or discharged
after proper treatments.
The separation of gas, oil and water is typically carried out in a sequence of separators, operating at
progressively lower pressures and temperatures from well stream down to export conditions. The
focus of this project is the basic design of offshore separation trains for three different types of feed:
(i) a gas condensate; (ii) a volatile oil; (iii) a black oil. Data on the feed can be retrieved in the paper in
the reference [1].
Care is required in evaluating how the process design influences the quantity and quality of the
product streams for export and the energy consumption of the process. In addition, the correlation of
the separation train design to produced water treatment and gas treatment units is also to be
considered in the discussion, as well as technical, safety and environmental aspects.
The report is expected to include one (or more) block diagrams, as well as one (or more) process flow
diagrams showing the selected process scheme(s) and the values of the selected operating
parameters, as well as a careful selection of relevant plots and tables for illustrating the performance
of the train.

Feed data:
The platform receives a mixture of reservoir fluids at an average flow rate of 12000 t/d, with
approximately 7000 t/d of which being water. The mixture is available at the platform inlet at 35 bar
and 60 °C.

References:
[1] E. Olsen, J.-O. Hooghoudt, M. Maschietti, A. Andreasen, Optimization of an Oil and Gas Separation Plant for
Different Reservoir Fluids Using an Evolutionary Algorithm, Energy & Fuels 35 (2021) 5392-5406.
https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c04284

This is a computational project with no lab work.

6. Repurposing offshore oil and gas infrastructure into a Power-to-Methane energy island
Project module: Petrochemical Separation Processes
Supervisor: Marco Maschietti

The energy transition requires a shift from fossil fuels to renewables. If electricity can be produced
with renewable methods, such as wind turbines and solar cells, there is still the need to find ways for
producing hydrocarbons to make fuels for heavy transportation means (i.e., airplanes, trucks, ships),
which currently cannot run on electrical engines, and for the steel and petrochemical industry, which
requires a carbon input. One potential way is to capture and store carbon dioxide emitted by industry
and to use excess electricity from renewable sources to produce hydrogen via electrolysis. The carbon
from carbon dioxide and the hydrogen produced by electrolysis can be reacted to produce methane,
which in turn can be used to produce a wide range of fuels and petrochemical products. In this way, it
is theoretically possible to identify zero-emission and renewable pathways to produce hydrocarbons
and to get rid of fossil fuels in the future.
This project proposes to investigate the feasibility of repurposing existing offshore oil and gas
infrastructure into a Power-to-Methane energy island, where methane is produced from captured
carbon dioxide and water using excess electrical energy form renewable sources. The analysis can
comprise making process flow diagrams of different process alternatives, calculate mass and energy
balances, carry out basic process design and develop economic considerations.

This is a computational project with no lab work.

7. Corrosion Aspects of CO2 Transport and Storage

Project module: Material Science

Supervisor: Rudi P. Nielsen/Marco Maschietti

Currently carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is a topic that has caught a lot of attention. One
approach is to store captured CO2 in depleted/abandoned oil reservoirs, which would be capable of containing
large amounts of CO2. In Denmark this would mean storage in the offshore fields in the North Sea, and
transport of CO2 to the fields could potentially be in pipelines as a dense CO 2 phase. Likewise, injection could be
through abandoned oilwells which provide access to the reservoirs.

It would be highly unfortunate if corrosion in these pipes would occur, and due to massive installations, these
would be in plain carbon steel. This means that a good understanding of the potential for corrosion in the
transportation pipelines as well as injection wells would be of key importance.

Example of CO2 corrosion in a pipe.

This project is aimed at looking into the corrosion aspects of CO 2 transportation. Several approaches can be
made but should all be founded in a solid literature review. Possible aspects are modelling/prediction of
corrosion, measurement methods for impurities for corrosion monitoring or experimental studies providing
relevant insights into the matter.

In the case of experimental approach, it must be noted that methods and measurements would have to be
developed as part of the project as no current infrastructure for this type of measurement (high-pressure CO 2
corrosion studies) is available.
8. Gas Dehydration using Glycols

Project module: Petrochemical Separation Processes

Supervisor: Rudi P. Nielsen

Biogas as well as natural gas typically has high water content. The water content needs to be reduced to
stringent specifications, in order to avoid gas hydrate formation and corrosion in pipelines. Dehydration is
typically performed by means of absorption using triethylene glycol (TEG) or another glycol as a solvent in an
absorption column. The rich solvent exiting the absorption column needs to be regenerated to very high purity
levels. This is hardly attainable in an atmospheric distillation unit; thus, several alternative regeneration
processes have been developed and are currently applied in the industry.

This project aims at investigating the dehydration of methane gas streams using glycols. Aspects such as impact
of solvent choice, process conditions, energy optimization or similar can be investigated.

Focus can be on placed in both the absorption or distillation aspect or both for an overall process
understanding. Topics that likely will be included are column processes (absorption and distillation), mass
transfer processes, and process modelling using Aspen HYSYS or similar simulation software.

This is a computational project with no lab work.

9. Process design of energy efficient separation of mixture of propylene-propane

Project module: Petrochemical Separation Processes

Supervisor: Haoshui Yu

Propylene is an essential raw material in the manufacture of a variety of propylene derivatives like
polypropylene, acrylonitrile, cumene and acrylic acid. About 85% of the global propylene demand is met via
conventional methods such as thermal cracking and fluid catalytic cracking. However, the propylene is mixed
with the propane during the production process and thus it is necessary to sperate propylene from propane.

Propylene-propane separation is one of the most energy intensive processes in the chemical industry.
Distillation is the most used technology to separate propylene from propane. In this project, you are expected
to improve the efficiency of the conventional distillation process. Heat pump assisted distillation and self-heat
recuperation can be potential ways to reduce the energy consumption of the distillation process. You can use
Aspen Plus or Aspen Hysys to simulate different processes and then compare the energy consumption with
different system configuration.

The design basis and targets are given as follows:

1. The feed stream is a mixture of propylene and propane and the mole fraction of propylene is 50%.
2. The purities of propylene and propane are not less than 99.6% mol and 97.5% mol respectively.
3. The flowrate of the feed stream is 100 kmol/h. The pressure is 2 MPa and the temperature is bubble
point.

Reference:

Christopher, Chang Chu En; Dutta, Arnab; Farooq, Shamsuzzaman; Karimi, Iftekhar A (2017). Process synthesis
and optimization of propylene-propane separation using vapor recompression and self-heat recuperation.
Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 56(49):14557-14564.

This is a computational project with no lab work.