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Helping the chemical industry bolster the quality of fluids shipped through pipelines is one of senior Dan Connolly’s goals this school year.
The chemical engineering major seeks to identify a fluid that can be used to calibrate the forces applied on substances by complex pipelines. He is working with James K. Ferri, assistant professor of chemical engineering.
Connolly picked this thesis topic because he wanted to perform research that could be directly applied in industry. “I feel this project has a practical use once it is completed, and that means a lot to me,” he says.
When a company pumps a fluid through a pipeline, Connolly explains, the force of the substance hitting the walls distorts its properties, such as viscosity or thickness, and that shear force tends to decrease its quality.
“For a more detailed piping network, it is difficult to model the magnitude of the forces imparted on a particular product,” says Connolly. “Therefore, within my research, I am looking to investigate a fluid that will degrade in a physical property under controlled shear conditions and within a simple geometry such as a capillary tube.
“By calibrating these forces, the industry is better able to design their processes to prevent loss of product quality,” he adds. The research is being performed in collaboration with engineers at Air Products and Chemicals Inc. in Allentown, Pa.
Connolly has enjoyed working with Ferri, who has “always taken the time to go through a derivation or a concept and explain it when I’m not understanding it completely. I have also had Dr. Ferri for two classes here at Lafayette — both great experiences where I’ve learned a lot and have been able to apply what I’ve learned in industry during my internships. I feel that Dr. Ferri is a valuable asset to the chemical engineering faculty.”
Connolly calls Lafayette “a good environment for extensive and independent research mainly due to its faculty/student ratio. With the small numbers, students are able to learn who their professors really are and that’s not something you get from just going to a lecture.” He believes the student-faculty interaction fosters more learning.
Connolly is a member of Tau Beta Pi (national engineering honorary society), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Lafayette Organization of Science and Technology, Lafayette Environmental Awareness and Protection, and Lafayette Christian Fellowship. He also volunteers through the Landis Community Outreach Center.
A National Leader in Undergraduate Research. Daniel Connolly ’02 won second place for his presentation of research with James Ferri, assistant professor of chemical engineering, at the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ annual meeting.