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Sustainable Resource Use: Academic and Industrial Collaboration for Sustainability and process Efficiency
Hesketh, Robert Gao, Barnabas Pham, Thien Am Padros, Emma Malec, Andrew Rios, Amarelys Patterson, Joel Slater, Stewart Yenkie, Kirti M
Hesketh, Robert
Gao, Barnabas
Pham, Thien Am
Padros, Emma
Malec, Andrew
Rios, Amarelys
Patterson, Joel
Slater, Stewart
Yenkie, Kirti M
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Date
2025
Educational Level
ISCED Level 5 Batchelor's or equivalent
Curriculum Area
Geographical Setting
United States of America
Abstract
Pollution prevention and sustainability are crucial in addressing global environmental challenges, particularly in industries requiring lubricant oils. Maintaining product integrity during changeovers in multi-product pipelines is essential for operational efficiency and resource optimization. However, conventional flushing practices require significant volumes of new oil to achieve complete displacement, generating substantial volumes of mixed oils, which are downgraded in value. This paper describe an academic and industrial collaboration on the flushing dynamics in lubricant oil pipelines. We have employed a pilot plant which replicates the industrial operation. Residence time distribution (RTD) studies validate the pilot plant's accuracy in modeling industrial systems. Two flushing strategies: direct oil-to-oil displacement and air blowing with drain-and-flush are explored to enhance efficiency and sustainability. The effectiveness of these approaches is evaluated in terms of resource conservation, mixed oil minimization, and overall process sustainability through Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), providing insights into optimizing pipeline changeover operations in the lubricant oil industry.
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Keywords (free text)
pollution prevention, life-cycle analysis, simulation, engineering education, engineering for sustainable development, education for sustainabilty, sustainability in engineering