www.pitapa.org Spring 2016NEWSLETTER

PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCEA Commonwealth-University-Industry Partnership for Economic Development through Research, Technology and Education

IN THIS ISSUE…———————————————COLLECTING EMISSIONS DATA FOR SHALE GAS FACILITIES ———————————————EVALUATING THE LIFE CYCLE COST OF STEEL BRIDGES ———————————————INCREASING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ———————————————IMPROVING THE FABRICATION PROCESS FOR THE TITANIUM OXIDE PIGMENT INDUSTRY

EVALUATING THE LIFE CYCLE COST OF STEEL BRIDGES

Message from PITA Co-DirectorsBurak Ozdoganlar and Richard Sause

We are pleased to share this latest issue of the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA) newsletter. For the past 18 years, the mission of PITA, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, has been to connect Pennsylvania companies with the Commonwealth’s world-class university researchers and their students to create and maintain jobs in Pennsylvania. These university-industry collaborations have been developing new and refining current technologies. In this issue, we highlight some recent projects that have successfully been fulfilling the PITA mission. We feature the research partnership between Lehigh University Professor Dan Frangopol and ArcelorMittal to evaluate the life-cycle cost of a representative steel bridge. The project team completed its evaluation by comparing life-cycle performances and performing a cost analysis comparing painted conventional carbon steel versus ArcelorMittal’s corrosion-resistant steel. We also highlight the work Lehigh researchers are conducting with Material Complexions, Inc. to improve the fabrication process for the titanium oxide pigment industry, which was valued in the United States alone at $4.4 billion in 2014. They are studying the stability of a particular coating material — silicon dioxide or silica — to reduce the problem of “chalking” that occurs when titania is exposed to sunlight and which causes the paint or coating in products to degrade. As seen in this issue, PITA funding has also allowed Carnegie Mellon University researchers Burcu Akinci and Mario Berges to work with the Pittsburgh International Airport to address the challenge that airports face in trying to make their buildings more energy efficient in order to lower costs and minimize their environmental impact. The focus of their work has, since initial funding, been expanded to include airports throughout the United States. Finally, we show here how PITA funding has allowed Carnegie Mellon’s Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies (CAPS) and RJ Lee Group to address the challenges faced in monitoring and quantifying methane and other volatile organic compound emissions from the natural gas industry. By using a pair of mobile laboratories, this team has been able to quantify temporal variations in emissions at “super-emitter” facilities, as well as to help RJ Lee validate their mobile platform and equipment for use in shale gas regions. Also, real-time measurement of methane and VOC concentrations can provide industry with a means to identify the specific emission sources, so the cause of the emissions can be corrected. With the help of PITA, Pennsylvania is successfully competing in the development of new technologies. If you would like more information about the featured articles in this issue or about PITA in general, please feel free to contact us or the principal investigator listed on a specific project. Information is also available on our website at www.pitapa.org.

Burak Ozdoganlarozdoganlar@cmu.edu412-268-9890Carnegie Mellon University

Richard Sausersause@lehigh.edu610-758-3525ATLSS, Lehigh University

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How do you monitor and quantify methane and other volatile organic compound emissions from the natural gas industry, which has thousands of small facilities spread over multiple states? This is a fundamental challenge to understanding the impact of the shale gas industry in the Marcellus Shale. To address this issue, regulators and public policymakers are interested in both the aggregate emissions across a shale basin as well as emissions at each facility (well, compressor, etc.). Obtaining emissions data is complicated, however, by several factors: the sheer number of facilities, potential variations in emissions over time (“temporal variation”) at a given facility and large site-to-site variations in emissions. A PITA-funded project between Carnegie

For more information, contact Albert Presto at apresto@andrew.cmu.edu

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“We hope that this combination of drive-by sampling and dispersion modeling will be useful as a screening tool to quickly identify super emitters for further follow-up testing.”— Albert Presto, assistant research professor, Carnegie Mellon

Mellon University’s Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies (CAPS) and RJ Lee Group is addressing this challenge by focusing on understanding the emissions produced by “super-emitter” facilities. “Finding super emitters and quantifying their emissions is critical to maintaining compliance with EPA regulations and to limiting overall emissions from each shale basin,” explained Carnegie Mellon Assistant Research Professor Albert Presto, who is the principal researcher on the project. The team also includes Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering Allen Robinson. While most facilities have low emissions, a small fraction of super-emitter facilities can provide the bulk of the emissions (e.g., 10 percent

of the sites by number can cause more than 50 percent of the emissions). The research team is developing sample methods and analysis tools that will quickly diagnose super emitters as well as better characterize temporal variations in emissions from shale gas facilities. They have used a pair of mobile laboratories — the CAPS mobile lab and the RJ Lee Group’s mobile lab — that are equipped to measure methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). In one set of tests, the mobile laboratories parked downwind of known shale gas sources (one well, one compressor station and one gas processing plant) to observe temporal variations in emissions from these facilities. In a separate set of experiments, CMU performed mobile

measurements to identify incidental plumes of methane and other VOCs that may have originated from shale gas facilities. As well as quantifying temporal variations in emissions, these measurements have helped RJ Lee to validate their mobile platform and equipment for use in shale gas regions. Also, real-time measurement of methane and VOC concentrations can provide industry with a means to identify the specific emission sources, so the cause of the emissions can be corrected. In the coming months, the team will use dispersion modeling tools, along with Google Earth images and databases of well pad locations, to estimate emission rates and facility locations that could describe the observed plumes.

Collecting Emissions Data for Shale Gas Facilities

Steel bridges represent more than 30 percent of the total number of highway bridges in the United States and represent a critical component of our transportation infrastructure system. These bridges, if placed in highly corrosive environments, due to de-icing salts or marine exposure, may require frequent maintenance and repair actions during their service life. To address this issue, several steel types offering better corrosion resistance have been introduced by steel manufacturers to reduce the need for maintenance in corrosive environments. With PITA funding, Lehigh University Professor Dan Frangopol partnered with ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, with operations in Coatesville, Pa., to evaluate the life-cycle cost of a representative Pennsylvania steel bridge.

Evaluating the Life Cycle Cost of Steel Bridges

For more information, contact Dan Frangopol at dmf206@lehigh.edu

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They did this by comparing whether the bridge is constructed using painted conventional carbon steel or ArcelorMittal’s corrosion-resistant steel, coded as ASTM A1010. For bridges under heavy chloride exposure, coated carbon steel is typically used and multiple repainting maintenance actions are performed throughout the service life of the bridge to ensure its acceptable performance. The corrosion-resistant A1010

steel, as a maintenance-free alternative, has been found to be superior in such applications. However, it has a considerably higher initial cost when compared to the painted carbon steel. Frangopol and ArcelorMittal quantified the life-cycle cost of both alternatives, so that bridge managers can rationally select the appropriate material that best suits their needs. “Life cycle performance and cost analysis of steel bridges represents an important part of ArcelorMittal’s development of ASTM A1010 that is manufactured exclusively in Pennsylvania,” stated Fred Fletcher, principal research engineer at ArcelorMittal. The research team used a model of the bridge that carries State Route (SR) 987 over the SR 22 to illustrate the life-cycle cost computational procedure. The life-cycle cost consists of the initial cost, which includes the

cost of materials, fabrication, initial painting, shop inspection and transportation, along with the cost of repainting maintenance performed during the bridge’s service life. The cost of maintenance includes the repainting and traffic control costs, in addition to the indirect costs arising from the traffic delays and their related social and environmental impacts. In order to determine the total life-cycle cost of the bridge, the team used a Monte Carlo simulation.

“Life cycle performance and cost analysis of steel bridges represents an important part of ArcelorMittal’s development of ASTM A 1010 that is manufactured exclusively in Pennsylvania.”— Fred Fletcher, principal research engineer, Arcelor Mittal

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From their research, the team concluded that the A1010 steel represents a more sustainable alternative to the conventional carbon steel for bridge construction in corrosive environments. The life-cycle cost of the bridge constructed using the A1010 is constant throughout the service life of the bridge. In addition, they found that although the A1010 provides a higher initial cost than the carbon steel, the life-cycle cost of the bridge constructed using carbon steel is significantly higher and can reach a value of up to two times that of the same bridge constructed using the A1010 steel after 100 years of service life.

The outcomes from this collaboration contribute to the management of the steel bridge infrastructure, especially in Pennsylvania where the vast population of bridges are made of steel. Pennsylvania companies, such as ArcelorMittal, will also benefit from this project because it provides a life-cycle cost model that clearly indicates the economic advantages of new solutions for steel bridges in terms of material and configuration, which provide maintenance-free service during the lifetime of a bridge.

Because buildings consume almost 40 percent of total energy in the United States, owners and facility managers try to make their buildings more energy efficient to lower costs and minimize their environmental impact. Airports, in particular, have a strong desire to lower their energy use, due to their large energy footprint and continuous operation. To address this challenge, the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIA) partnered with Carnegie Mellon University researchers — Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) faculty members Burcu Akinci and Mario Berges, and CEE graduate student Minkyung Kang. With PITA funding, they are working toward forecasting the airport’s energy use and understanding the relationship with its operational schedule and other building characteristics. The research team’s primary goal was to find the variables and information needed to forecast the airport’s energy use. The building automation system installed and operated by Honeywell International provided access to the airport’s building control system and historical energy usage data. They also gained an understanding of user requirements and interviewed airport facility managers and engineers to find the difficulties

Improving Energy Efficiency at Pittsburgh International AirportFor more information, contact Mario Berges at marioberges@cmu.edu

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and gaps they faced while attempting to achieve energy efficient operations. The team noticed these airport personnel had been trying many different approaches to energy efficiency, including performing an energy audit and installing high energy-efficient lighting. However, the airport’s challenge was in saving energy costs while maintaining their customer comfort level. The team concluded that in order for the airport operators to achieve energy cost savings in the long run, it is necessary to develop methods that optimally manage energy resources without sacrificing the level of service. Only with a careful consideration of impact on occupants and availability of resources, energy saving efforts can remain valid. The team specifically paid attention to the potential of using the passenger flow estimated by flight schedule, as well as building space usage information to support energy saving decision- making process. The models and methodologies being developed in the project are designed to help airport engineers understand the impact of occupant flows on energy use as well as the influence of energy saving strategies on occupant comfort. Since engaging in this initially funded PITA project, the

In the United States alone, the titanium oxide pigment industry was valued at $4.4 billion in 2014. Titanium oxide pigments are ubiquitous; they provide the opaque white color in all paints, including lacquers and varnishes. They are used to add whiteness to papers, plastics, food, medicines and most toothpastes. And, they are used as a pigment and a sunscreen agent in cosmetic and skin care products. For most of these applications, however, a stable nano-coating on the pigment particles is essential for the pigment to function properly. With PITA funding, Bethlehem-based Material Complexions, Inc. and Lehigh University researchers partnered to study the problem of “chalking” that often occurs when titania is exposed to sunlight or other UV sources, which causes the paint or coatings to degrade. This form of degradation is avoided by coating the particles with an impervious shell. They looked, specifically, at the stability of a particular coating material: silicon dioxide or silica, which is one of the most abundant materials on earth, found in sands, rocks and soil. Also, the most attractive coatings are based on oxides of aluminum and silicon. However, these coatings, which are generally in nanoscale, are not thermodynamically stable and often do not have very strong adherence to the pigment particles. What the team found is that a particular formulation containing oxides of silicon and calcium was stable under the experimental conditions in the lab. Their work has also provided a framework for designing and fabricating such coating materials on titania for specific applications, rather than relying on the less efficient “trial and error” strategies that have typically been employed in this process. Material Complexions, Inc., a material diagnosis and development company that was spun-off from Lehigh University specifically to speed up the commercialization of its applied research on grain boundary complexions, will apply the findings of this investigation to its continuing efforts to develop better performing and cost effective nano-materials.

Improving the Fabrication Process for the Titanium Oxide Pigment Industry

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For more information, contact Animesh Kundu at ank8@lehigh.edu

Carnegie Mellon research team has expanded their focus to include airports in the United States, which are struggling with similar issues. Minkyung Kang, the graduate student on the team, submitted a proposal on the better utilization of demand response by airports to the Graduate Research Program, which is administered by the Airport Cooperative Research program in the Transportation Research Board (TRB). She was chosen as one of 10 selected teams that won a $10,000 scholarship for one year of research. Kang will present her findings at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting, an international meeting for transportation leaders, including state/federal agencies, private consultants and educational institutions. The outcome of this project will resolve the difficulties airport engineers and managers face when trying to reduce building energy costs. Once implemented, the findings will not only help building owners earn extra revenue by better taking advantage of demand response opportunities, they can also help communities stabilize their local grids and can be expanded to other types of buildings in a variety of industries.

PITA unites the physical and informational infrastructure expertise at Carnegie Mellon and Lehigh universities with the capabilities and needs of Pennsylvania companies and agencies to develop solutions to some of the commonwealth’s most serious infrastructure problems that impact economic growth and quality of life, including:

ENERGY: Clean, affordable and sustainable energy sources; reliable delivery of energy through electrical grids and natural gas pipelines; and efficient transmission and use of energy.

HAZARD MITIGATION AND DISASTER RECOVERY: Mitigation of impacts from natural hazards (floods, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes) as well as other hazards, such as explosions and fires; and infrastructure systems that permit continued operation after a hazardous event.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICINE: Healthcare technologies to save lives, to improve patient quality of life and to reduce healthcare costs.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Secure information technology systems that can withstand both intentional attacks and accidental errors.

TRANSPORTATION: Safe and efficient highways, bridges, tunnels, mass transit systems, railways and airports.

WATER MANAGEMENT: Protection and restoration of water resources to provide an adequate drinking water supply; treatment and control tools to improve water quality; and innovative technology for monitoring, managing and operating critical waterway infrastructure (dams, locks and bridges).

Sixth Floor, Scott HallCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA 15213-3890

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PITA’S MISSION

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA) is a Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development funded program which provides economic benefits to Pennsylvania through the creation of new infrastructure technologies, knowledge transfer and the retention of highly educated students. By linking Pennsylvania’s industries and agencies with faculty and students from the Commonwealth’s leading research universities, PITA encourages highly educated students to remain in Pennsylvania and helps to attract highly qualified professionals and faculty to the commonwealth in an effort to create and maintain high paying jobs within the state.