Robert Hesketh | Rowan University (original) (raw)

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Papers by Robert Hesketh

2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access Proceedings, Sep 8, 2020

1999 Annual Conference, Jun 20, 1999

Springer eBooks, 2017

Green Chemistry refers to the study of the general methodology for synthesis of chemicals in a be... more Green Chemistry refers to the study of the general methodology for synthesis of chemicals in a benign and environmentally safe manner. Similarly Green Engineering refers application of green chemistry on an industrial scale with the goal of designing processes which minimizes the waste and pollution. The practice of green engineering requires the integration of green chemistry concepts and a systematic use of pollution prevention heuristics in design and operation together with risk assessment tools and life cycle analysis tools. The intent of this chapter is to familiarize the readers with the integration of these tools and spell out the approaches one need to use for green engineering of new processes as well as improving the environmental risks of existing processes.

Chemical engineering education, 1994

Student projects have examined how to apply pollution prevention strategies to both R&D and m... more Student projects have examined how to apply pollution prevention strategies to both R&D and manufacturing in several chemical industries. This has been accomplished through industry-university partnerships with pharmaceutical and petrochemical companies. Several grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency have supported initiatives in green chemistry, engineering and design. These projects have the broader goal of supporting sustainability in the chemical industry.

1999 Annual Conference, Jun 20, 1999

Journal of Food Process Engineering, Aug 9, 2021

A semi‐empirical model was applied to evaluate the performance of a vibratory nanofiltration (NF)... more A semi‐empirical model was applied to evaluate the performance of a vibratory nanofiltration (NF) system, using 150‐Da TS80 NF membrane, for the preconcentration of coffee extracts in soluble coffee processing. The effects of transmembrane pressure (TMP), feed concentration, and module vibration on flux enhancement were correlated with membrane surface concentrations and fouling resistances under steady state operation. Vibratory shear thinned the boundary layer and increased the mass transfer coefficient of the solvent (water) by a factor of 3.5. Membrane surface concentrations and fouling resistances reduced by 60% compared with crossflow (CF) NF operation. These reductions enhanced permeate fluxes by about 2–3 times that of CF operation, with low flux decline. Feed concentration and TMP promoted polarization more than the negative effect of vibration. Osmotic pressure resistances were dominant under low feed concentrations and TMP. However, concentration polarization resistances exceeded osmotic pressure resistances as TMP and feed concentrations were increased. Real rejections relative to membrane surface chemical oxygen demand (COD) were above 0.99, indicating the potential of the operation to recover permeate that is reusable for ancillary plant operations. Overall, the experimental and theoretical permeate fluxes and CODs were in reasonable agreement, indicating the reliability of the model.Practical ApplicationsVibratory membrane processes alleviate the issues on membrane fouling that is advantageous when integrated into food and beverage processes. Its application as a coffee extract preconcentration alternative to thermal evaporation opens opportunities for sustainable soluble coffee production that can be adapted in other food and beverage industries. However, the unique dynamic nature of the vibratory membrane system challenges conventional approaches for understanding and predicting the mechanisms of the process. This gap limits the overall transferability of the technology to broader industry sectors. The semi‐empirical resistance‐in‐series model developed in this study correlates the important factors with the vibratory NF performance based on fundamental concepts: concentration polarization, osmotic pressure effects, and fouling resistance. The model is not only useful in managing membrane fouling in vibratory systems, but also in optimizing and developing alternative approaches on similar lines and their scale‐up to promote other industrial applications.

International Journal of Engineering Education, 2007

Greening the engineering curriculum is an important consideration for sustainable engineering e... more Greening the engineering curriculum is an important consideration for sustainable engineering education from fundamentals to design in the 21st century. This paper describes the latest advances in an educational project sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection ...