Hailah Sessions

Hailah Sessions

Biography

Hailah Sessions is an Honors sophomore in Chemical Engineering at North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University from Charlotte, North Carolina. Inspired by
recent study-abroad experiences in Rome and Athens, she has developed an even greater
appreciation for how science, culture, and history intersect to shape innovation and society. As
an avid reader and lifelong learner, she values the transformative power of scientific inquiry
and continuous education. Hailah is committed to pursuing a career in cosmetic research,
development, and manufacturing, with interests in polymers, colloids, and cationic and
anionic surfactants, particularly their influence on the health of low-porosity hair. She hopes to
contribute meaningful research that advances formulation science while fostering innovation,
inclusivity, and evidence-based product development for historically underserved populations
through collaborative, interdisciplinary engineering research.

Finite Element Analysis of Cylindrical Concentric Ion Concentration Polarization
for Desalination
Hailah Sessions¹, Eric Wynne², Jongyoon Han²
¹Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University
²Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Ion concentration polarization (ICP) is an emerging electrokinetic phenomenon with potential
for energy-efficient water desalination and ionic separations. Although most ICP devices
use planar microchannel geometries, alternative configurations may improve device design
and performance. This project investigates the feasibility of a concentric cylindrical ICP
system through multiphysics simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics. A two-dimensional
axisymmetric model coupling fluid flow, ion transport, and electric fields was developed to
evaluate how channel geometry, operating conditions, and transport properties influence ion
transport and salt removal. Parametric studies were performed by systematically varying
key design parameters while monitoring solution convergence and numerical stability.
Preliminary simulations produced characteristic ion depletion and enrichment regions
consistent with ICP behavior and demonstrated that desalination performance is highly
sensitive to geometric and operating conditions. These early findings have guided continued
refinement of the computational model, including mesh optimization and parameter selection
to improve solution accuracy and stability. This work establishes a computational framework
for evaluating concentric ICP devices and provides a foundation for future investigations of
alternative electrokinetic desalination systems.