On January 3rd, 2024, new and returning CIVS research assistants gathered in the Immersive Theater for the Spring 2024 student orientation.

CIVS Director Dr. Chenn Zhou and Associate Director for Research Dr. Tyamo Okosun opened the meeting by encouraging students to support each other and grow a community within their project groups.

This event fosters belonging between students as well as staff. Students were encouraged to introduce themselves and discuss the projects they are working on or plan to work on. Staff outlined expectations for CIVS students with the goal of setting them up for success.

 

CIVS students and staff also took this time to welcome the new Senior Administrative Assistant, Kellie Butler. She joins us with extensive administrative experience and is a graduate of Ball State University. The CIVS team looks forward to fostering her growth and utilizing her many applicable skills.

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Syed Imran, a newly graduated CIVS research assistant, will join SMSVC member company Linde Engineering North America as a Mechanical Engineer after successfully defending his thesis and being an integral part of many impactful CIVS research projects. His collaboration with industry leaders allowed him the insight to pursue his career goals competitively. He is looking forward to working on various projects, including modular hydrogen generators, cryogenic tanks, and hydrogen truck trailers.

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On October 30 – November 3, 2023, CIVS Associate Director for Operations for CIVS and Research Associate Professor, Armin Silaen presented “Optimization of Vane-Style Variable Area Flowmeter Calibration Through CFD Analysis” at the 2023 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) in New Orleans, LA.

The main aim of this work was to perform calibration of a Vane-style variable area flowmeter. To achieve this, a series of CFD simulations were conducted for different flow rates of water. The angles at which the vane of the flowmeter settled were recorded and plotted for all flowrates. The results obtained from the simulations were compared to experimental data to validate their accuracy. A grid sensitivity analysis was also performed to determine the effect of mesh size on the accuracy of the results. The study found that a finer mesh size produced more accurate results compared to a coarser mesh.

Thanks to Dwyer Instruments, Inc. flowmeters for the support in the course of the project. The Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) at Purdue University Northwest is gratefully acknowledged in the publication, for providing all the resources required for this work.

The International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE) is ASME’s largest research and development (R&D) conference focused primarily on mechanical engineering while encompassing perspectives from many engineering disciplines. Each year, roughly 2,400 papers, presentations, and posters are presented at IMECE in 17 core tracks. Attendees include the leading researchers in their representative disciplines from academia, government, and industry R&D labs. The greatest strength of IMECE is the breadth of research presented. With approximately 30 parallel sessions running over a 4-day technical program, every field is addressed. From critical advancements in mature fields to new and innovative areas of R&D.

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During 2023, CIVS faculty, staff, and students had several site visits at the steel plants of our SMSVC member companies to gain practical knowledge of ironmaking and steelmaking processes. They also attended technical meetings and training courses such as the AIST Two-Day Continuous Casting Seminar and Workshop on Electric Arc Furnace Practice and Evolution presented by Steve Ryan, Manager of Process Technology at NLMK, on October 31st at CIVS. The following are examples of site visits and training courses:

ArcelorMittal East Chicago, April
Cleveland Cliffs Burn Harbor plant tour, May & July
Cleveland Cliffs Indiana Harbor plant tours, March, May, July, Sept, & Oct
Cleveland Cliffs Rockport Works plant tour, Aug
Cleveland Cliffs Middletown Works plant tour, January
Gerdau Monroe plant tour, Sept
NLMK plant tours, June & Oct
U. S. Steel Gary Works Plant tours, January, Oct
AIST Continuous Casting – A Practical Training Seminar, Oct

Students can gain industry knowledge and exposure to standard practices through various events, such as the AIST Midwest Chapter Dinners and AISTech. CIVS also hosts a variety of industry guests at events such as the AIST committee meetings and the AIST Digital Transformation Forum in March. On October 31st, CIVS research students participated in a unique EAF Practice and Evolution Workshop led by Steve Ryan, Manager of Process Technology at NLMK. The CIVS team is always encouraged to expand their knowledge through unique training opportunities.

 

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PNW CIVS, along with industrial, education, federal, and elected leaders, gathered on Oct. 11 to recognize a significant grant of nearly $10 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) to support the Development and Demonstration of an Industrial Hydrogen-fired Steel Reheating Furnace (H2RF). The event attendees participated in a combination of three activities: The Annual NWI One Region Luncheon, a Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor Plant tour, and a ceremony at CIVS Immersive Theater.

The keynote speaker for the annual One Region NWI Luncheon, President of Purdue University Mung Chiang, congratulated CIVS and its partners for the largest-ever federal research awarded to Purdue University Northwest, which will fund the Development and Demonstration of an Industrial Hydrogen-Fired Steel Reheating Furnace. “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to speak to more than 500 partners in northwest Indiana at the 10th anniversary of the One Region luncheon,” Chiang said.

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Thank you to over 50 SMSVC industry attendees for a successful Annual Meeting on November 8 and 9, hosted at the CIVS facility at the Purdue University Northwest Hammond campus. During the meeting, CIVS & SMSVC director Dr. Chenn Zhou summarized the 2023 existing accomplishments and highlighted strong academic-industry partnerships in the recent DOE grants for the Decarbonization of the Steel Industry. She also emphasized the effectiveness of SMSVC application roadmaps as well as collaborations between the PNW CIVS team and the SMSVC project technical committees (PTC).

CIVS staff and students presented development and applications of computational models in six topic areas (safety and training, Electric Arc Furnace, ironmaking including blast furnace and DRI, Refining Ladle, Continues Casting, and Reheating Furnace), followed by lively discussions. The SMSVC board and PTC members were very impressed by the level of advancement on both the models and their applications. This annual event, with thorough review and discussions on the SMSVC projects, will ensure continued project success and future directions to address the industry’s needs.

During the meeting, Dave Schalles, Vice President of Technical Services at Bloom Engineering, gave an overview of the newly welcomed member of the SMSVC and described expected contributions from and benefits to the company. SMSVC members look forward to working with Bloom Engineering, which has nearly 90 years of steel industry experience. The annual event also included a keynote dinner on November 8th entitled “Opportunities for Industry-Academia-Federal Partnerships in the Decarbonization of Ironmaking and Steelmaking,” presented by Mr. Dave Forrest, Principal Technical Co

nsultant at Nexight Group, representing the Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office (IEDO)

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Mr. David Forrest, Principal Technical Consultant at Nexight Group, representing the Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office (IEDO), delivered a keynote speech at the SMSVC Annual Meeting dinner at PNW on November 8th.

In his keynote speech entitled “Decarbonization of Ironmaking and Steelmaking: Opportunities for Industry-Academia-Federal Partnerships in the Decarbonization of Ironmaking and Steelmaking,” Mr. David Forrest described that decarbonization is the new strategic focus with more funding for the iron and steel portfolio. He also reviewed various potential technologies for decarbonization and DOE funding opportunities.

Mr. David Forrest specializes in advanced materials and processes. With 37 years of experience in industrial and government research, from the shop floor to state-of-the-art materials labs, he brings practical understanding along with strong technical depth. David’s additional years of program management experience with the Dept. of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office provide unique value and perspectives for students, faculty, and staff at CIVS as well as industry leaders in the national and global steel industry. As the Technology Manager in the Advanced Manufacturing Office from 2012 to 2019, he launched and ran the High-Performance Computing for Manufacturing program. He also won an Energy Rock Star, Assistant Secretary Outstanding Impact, and Distinguished Career Service awards.

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On September 23rd, Cleveland Cliffs hosted Rockport Works Family Day at its facility on the Ohio River near Rockport, Indiana, which included a VR tour of the plant created by CIVS.

Through the use of 360-degree Video and Interactive Virtual Reality Tour technology developed by CIVS, family, and friends were able to participate in an immersive virtual tour of the facilities and gain insight into the processes that happen there. Derrick Webb, Manager of Human Resources at Rockport Works, mentioned to CIVS staff that families really enjoyed the VR experience.

Cleveland-Cliffs is North America’s largest producer of flat-rolled steel and has been a chart member of the Steel Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Consortium (SMSVC) since 2016.

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The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen (MachH2) was selected for a $1 Billion Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub project by U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) as announced by President Biden on Oct. 13. Purdue University Northwest (PNW), led by the Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS), is excited to be part of the alliance committed to growing the Midwest regional hydrogen value chain to deliver positive climate and community impact.

PNW CIVS will be involved in the research and workforce development using advanced simulation and visualization technologies for hydrogen production and applications that will reduce emissions from industrial sectors, including the region’s steel mills, refineries, and power plants. The Midwest Alliance for Clean Hydrogen, or MachH2, hub is one of seven selected by the U.S. Department of Energy for funding to accelerate the domestic market for low-cost, clean hydrogen.

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On October 13, CIVS students and staff attended the weekly student seminar in the Immersive Theater presented by guest speaker Dr. Sayanti Roy, Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Purdue Northwest. Dr. Roy’s presentation titled “Can Robots Learn to Assist Humans? A Challenge in Human Robot Interaction” expanded on machine learning techniques and the development of automated robots as support tools for future research.

The weekly student seminars provide valuable exposure to industry standards and practices each Friday in the Immersive Theater. These seminars aim to expose students to real-world applications of their work and engage them in various research topics.

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