Center for Energy Initiatives (CEI) The Center for Energy Initiatives is an AIChE Industry Technology Group devoted to the development, design and efficient use of energy by chemical engineers and related professionals.
Shale Gas Resource Page February 14, 2013To help AIChE members better understand and better communicate about shale gas, the Public Affairs & Information Committee has helped curate valuable shale gas resources.
Energy related Communities AIChE communities that address energy-related topics include: Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division Environmental Division Fuels & Petrochemicals Division Nuclear Engineering Division Process Development Division Sustainability Engineering Forum Transport and Energy Processes Division Research and New Technology Committee See all Divisions & Forums and Committees
Catalyst Could Eliminate Need for Hydrogen in Fuel Cells March 15, 2018A new catalyst that is eight times as fast as current technology could change the world of fuel cells.
PAIC Climate Task Force: Attribution of Observed Climate Change November 7, 2017Participate in this discussion on causes of warming and increased greenhouse gas concentrations until November 21, 2017.
PAIC Climate Task Force: Validity of Data II October 3, 2017This discussion has been extended through Tuesday, October 24. Please share your thoughtful reply before the deadline.
Catalyzing Commercialization: Next-Generation Photovoltaics for Economic, Clean Energy March2018Catalyzing CommercializationEnergy sustainability represents one of the grand challenges facing modern society, and thin-film solar photovoltaics provide one of the best opportunities for rapidly expanding renewable energy use. Photovoltaics (PV) using the thin-film semiconductor cadmium telluride (CdTe) have been commercialized at the gigawatts (GW)-per-year scale, with 17.5 GWs installed globally.
Expo Preview: 2018 Offshore Technology Conference March2018New ProductsThe Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) is an annual event where energy professionals meet to advance their scientific and technical knowledge related to offshore resources in the fields of drilling, exploration, production, and environmental...
Recyclable Resin Improves Wind Turbine Sustainability February 26, 2018Wind energy can now be more sustainable than ever, thanks to recyclable resin with low-energy production requirements.
Innovations that Hold Promise for a Better Future February 22, 2018A host of innovations across a wide range of areas show potential for a brighter future. Read more about them here.
Fungi Hold Secret to Wood-based Advanced Biofuels February 21, 2018A team of researchers at the University of York have discovered a set of enzymes in fungi that could help make wood an even more promising source for advanced biofuels.
Distillation in Practice eLearning (online) CourseLearn essential distillation concepts including vapor liquid equilibrium, start-up and troubleshooting, and other best practices with this online...
Carbon-based Catalyst May Be Key Step to Clean Hydrogen January 17, 2018As efficient as current platinum-based catalysts, the nanostructured composite material sidesteps costly platinum.
Huge Potential in North Atlantic Open-Ocean Wind Farms January 15, 2018Computer modeling reveals the true potential of open-ocean wind farms, compared to conventional land-based wind farms.
New Catalyst Efficiently Turns Methane into Fuels January 10, 2018Researchers have devised a single-atom alloy catalyst that requires significantly less energy to turn shale-gas methane into hydrocarbon fuels.
Technical Entity Trends: Innovate for a Better Future January2018Technical Entity TrendsLucy Lyudmila Alexander, Hailey Murphy, Amro Tambal, Derrick WuSteve Jobs is quoted as saying, “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” AIChE’s Technical Entities, which cover a wide variety of topics that include food, energy, water, sustainability, and biological engineering, are at the...
The ChE in Context: The food-Energy-Water Nexus: An Engineering and Public Policy Priority January2018The ChE in ContextNada Marie Anid, Dale L. KeairnsAIChE’s Public Affairs and Information Committee (PAIC) sees the public and government issues around the food-energy-water nexus to be a priority topic for chemical engineers. Food, energy, and water are essential resources for sustaining humankind...
December 2017 CEP Preview December 20, 2017This month, methods for order-of-magnitude cost estimation for shale-gas, optimized heat transfer of viscous fluids, the chemical industry in the Philippines, and more.
Cheaper, Cleaner Hydrogen Production from Methane and Electricity December 12, 2017This new method generates hydrogen from methane and electricity, with near-zero energy loss. The discovery is a boon for hydrogen-powered vehicles.
Developing Transparent Solar Panels for Windows December 4, 2017Transparent solar panels that are efficient enough to be practical have been elusive, but no longer.
AIChE Journal Article on Liquid-metal Membrane Technology Tops Altmetrics Charts September 5, 2017New liquid-metal membrane technology may help make hydrogen fuel cell vehicles viable, read this AIChE Journal article for FREE
Successful Retrofit Applying Ultra-Low NOx, High-Capacity Burners on an Existing Heater with a Small Radiant Section Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Successful retrofit of high capacity ultra-low NOx burners is accomplished via thorough evaluation of the existing heater, comprehensive CFD modeling...
Produced Water Tank Explosion Case Study Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Produced Water Tank Explosion Case Study J. Kelly Thomas, Ph.D. Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants 3330 Oakwell Court, Suite 100 San Antonio, TX...
Dynamic Simulation and Operability Study on Parallel Compressor Strings for LNG Application Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017New train configurations have been developed to satisfy new requirements in LNG industry in terms of availability of liquefaction plants. GE Oil&...
Rapid Hydrotreating Catalyst Lifetime Determination and Deactivation Sensitivity Assay Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Activity and stability of hydrotreating catalyst is extremely important in hydroprocessing, as it determines how long the reactor can be operated...
Converting Propane and Butane (LPG) in to High-Value Products Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017Shale oil and gas operations in North America generate abundant and low-cost supplies of LPG. At the same time, high production levels of shale oil...
Pros and Cons of Different Blanket Gas (Pad Gas) Control for Different Unit for LNG Baseload Plant Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017"Pros and Cons of Different Blanket Gas (Pad Gas) Control for Different Unit for LNG Baseload Plant" Will cover (1) All different control methos. For...
How Non-Condensables Affect Your Ethane/Ethylene Liquefaction Process – Different Concepts to Reduce Power Consumption and Product Losses Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 29, 2017How Non-Condensables Affect Your Ethane/Ethylene Liquefaction Process - Different Concepts to Reduce Power Consumption and Product Losses The...
Oxide Formed in High Temperature Corrosion By Model Naphthenic Acids Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017Naphthenic acid (NAP) refers to the indigenous carboxylic acid in the crude oil. High-temperature NAP corrosion of steel is one of major concerns for...
Impact of Impurities on Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes for Applications in Olefins Units Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017The separation of olefins from paraffins is important in the petrochemical industry.The current dominant technology, cryogenic distillation, is...
Improof: Integrated Model Guided Process Optimization of Steam Cracking Furnaces Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017IMPROOF: Integrated model guided process optimization of steam cracking furnaces Authors: Van Geem Kevin M.1,*, Battin-Leclerc F.2, Bellos G.3,...
From Field to Fuel: The Effect of Biomass Feedstock Composition on Fast Pyrolysis, Vapor Phase Upgrading, and Hydrotreatment Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017Fast pyrolysis of biomass followed by hydrotreating of the resulting pyrolysis liquid can produce a low-oxygen hydrocarbon liquid which holds promise...
Biojet Fuel Production from Ethanol and Isobutanol Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017Biojet fuels production from renewable ethanol and isobutanol will significantly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry. In...
Combining Add-on Technologies for Gsp Plants with up-to-Date Plate Fin Heat Exchanger Design Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017Combining Add-On Technologies for GSP Plants with up-to-date plate fin heat exchanger design The discovery of large shale gas reserves in the United...
Modeling and Optimization of a Cracked Naphtha Post-Treater Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 28, 2017FCC cracked naphtha is a valuable component of the gasoline pool that, when untreated, is characterized by high olefin and sulfur content. The...
the Journey Towards 2030, the Impact of the 2030 Vision and the 2020 Transformation Program on the Energy, Infrastructure and Other Projects in the Region Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 27, 2017Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries announced their vision for 2030 being so ambitious and trying to have better future for next generations and...
Deep Desulfurization Guardbeds for Hydrocarbon Processing Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 27, 2017Traditionally sulfur removal from hydrocarbon feeds is carried out in a two-step process: hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of the organic sulfur compounds...
Alkylation and Other Processes for Refinery Propylene Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 27, 2017Propylene, originating from catalytic and thermal cracking processes like Fluid Catalytic Cracking, FCC and Delayed Coking, DCU, presents a...
Energy Efficiency and Profit Optimization for Cogeneration Plants Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 27, 2017Optimum energy efficiency has long been the primary objective for a cogeneration plant. However, with the increased complexity of power contracts,...
Energy-Industry Trends and Insights from the Wellhead to Downstream Products Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyMarch 27, 2017HSB Solomon Associates LLC (Solomon) has conducted Comparative Performance Analyses™ (CPA™), also known as the Solomon studies, for over 35 years. These studies benchmark the Refining, Petrochemicals, Midstream, Upstream, and Electric Power industries, with the earliest studies starting in 1980.
Managing Water Treatment Risks in Refining Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016Against the backdrop of global water scarcity, the industrial sector is the fastest growing source of water consumption. If current trends persist,...
Design of a Marinized Liquefaction Process for FLNG Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016
Full Range Natural Gas Processing Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016Large and untapped natural gas reservoirs offer the opportunity to design a versatile and efficient gas processing complex. An optimized concept for...
Steam System Control and Optimization Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016Control of the overall steam system in a refinery or a large petrochemical plant can be one of the most difficult automation challenges, yet one of...
Use of Hitran Tube Side Enhancement in Revamps to Improve Operability and Efficiency Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 13, 2016Over the past decades various innovations in the design of heat exchangers have been major driving forces in the improvement of thermal process...
Hydrodeoxygenation of Phenols and Derivatives to Aromatics Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Phenols and substituted phenols can be produced from depolymerization of lignin, as we presented before at the AIChE conferences [1-2]. Hydrogenation...
Oil Field Additives and Ethylene Feedstock Contaminants Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016The shale gas revolution has fueled dramatic growth in the North American petrochemicals marketplace, sparking expansions and new construction on a...
Preliminary Evaluation of High-Pressure Circulating Fluidized Bed Biomass to Fuels Technology Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Pyrolysis of second generation biomass, such as crop residues or non-food crops, seems to be a very promising option for generating clean, renewable...
The Use of hiTRAN Wire Matrix Technology for the Size Reduction of Heavy Crude Heat Exchangers in Separation Processes Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016The flow characteristics of heavy crude oils make them difficult to process with conventional refining equipment. Heating and cooling capacity is...
Security and Risk Mitigation: Practical and Cost-Effective Solutions By the U.S. Nuclear Industry Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Two major events have occurred in the last 20 years which have profoundly affected the U.S. nuclear industry – the terrorist attacks of 9/11/...
Analysis of Energy Consumption in Industrial Distillation Columns Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Distillation is the commonly applied separation process in the chemical process industry as heat is used as the non-contaminating separating agent...
Cellulosic Ethanol Production through Chemical Detoxification Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Cellulosic ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass offers a sustainable solution for transition from fossil based fuels to renewable...
Heat Transfer Enhancement in Heat Exchangers to Reduce Plant Energy Demand Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016Shell and tube heat exchanger are the workhorses in refineries and chemical plants. In order to improve plant efficiency they should be designed in...
Save Energy without Investing Capital Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 12, 2016It is hard to get excited about saving energy during periods when energy prices are low, because the return on investment for energy efficiency...
Advances in Asset Health Monitoring and Predictive Analytics Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 11, 2016Big data is a hot topic in many commercial and industrial applications, and it also applies to the operation of refineries and petrochemical plants...
Boiler Emissions Reduction through Humid Combustion Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 11, 2016This presentation will compare conventional emissions abatement techniques with alternative options utilizing direct contact heat exchangers, which...
Multiphase Flow Modeling of LNG Using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic (SPH) Techniques Conference PresentationAIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process SafetyApril 11, 2016Abstract Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) has shown promise when used for numerical simulation of the release of LNG and the subsequent...
Experimental Results of Gasification of Raw Pine Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Partial oxidation of carbonaceous fuels at high temperatures (gasification) is a process to produce alternative energy. On promising technique to...
Development of a Blended Feedstock Strategy to Address Challenges of Feedstock Cost for Biochemical Conversion of Lignocellulosic Biomass Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015A blended feedstock strategy is currently under investigation at Idaho National Laboratory to address challenges associated with the high cost of...
Dihydropteridine/Pteridine As a 2H+/2e- Redox Mediator for the Catalytic Reduction of CO2 to Methanol Via Hydride-Proton Transfer Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015The development of renewable energy technologies has been the focus of tremendous recent effort. One particularly desirable approach involves using...
Effect of Fast Pyrolysis Conditions on the Biomass Solid Residues at High Temperatures (1000-1400C) Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Fast pyrolysis of wood and straw was conducted in a drop tube furnace (DTF) and compared with the experimental work on the wire-mesh reactor (WMR) to...
Modular Production of Synthetic Petroleum from Shale Gas Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015A current issue related to the production of petroleum from shale formations is the co-production of natural gas. In many cases, this co-produced gas...
Optimizing LNG Production Via Boil Off Gas System Design Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Optimizing LNG Production via Boil Off Gas System Design John Ergina – Technical Professional – Process, KBR Sumit Sharma – Senior Technical...
Hydrothermal Liquefaction: Effect of Various Waste Streams As Reaction Medium Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Abstract Hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass is the thermochemical conversion of biomass into liquid fuels by processing in a hot, pressurized water...
Hydrogen Production Using Miec Membranes for Water Thermolysis with Partial Oxidation of Methane Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015In this presentation, we will discuss hydrogen production using oxygen permeable MIEC (mixed ionic-electronic conducting) membranes for water...
Solar Thermo Microchemical Reforming of Natural Gas for Sustainable, Distributed Production of Hydrogen Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015The recent growth in usable reserves of natural gas (NG), domestically and globally, could provide a tremendous boost for clean, carbon-free energy...
Chemical Looping Gasification and Hydrogen (CLGH) Process from Solid Biomass in a Dual Fluidized-Bed System Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Chemical looping gasification and hydrogen (CLGH) process from solid biomass in a dual fluidized-bed system Jimin Zeng, Rui Xiao * , Yihong Wang,...
Hydrolysis Kinetics of Woody Biomass: Surface Renewal Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Woody biomass is known to be composed of three major components: cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. Cellulose is the most stable natural polymer in...
Dry Reforming of Methane on Ni in a Fixed-Bed Reactor: Spatial Reactor Profiles and Detailed CFD Simulations Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Dry Reforming of Methane on Ni in a Fixed-Bed Reactor: Spatial Reactor Profiles and Detailed CFD Simulations Gregor D. Wehinger 1 , Matthias Kraume 1...
Catalytic Production of Hydrogen and Carbon Monoxide Via Methane Dry Reforming Reaction over Hydrotalcite-Derived Ni/Mg/Al Mixed Oxides Promoted with Zr and/or Ce Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 20151. Introduction The reaction of dry reforming of methane (DRM) might become of a great importance in the near future since it is a method of CO 2...
Nickel Supported on Ceria-Zirconia for Syngas Production Via Dry Reforming of Methane Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 20151.Introduction Dry reforming of methane (DRM) produces synthesis gas with higher purity and lower H 2 /CO ratio than either partial oxidation or...
Dry Reforming of Methane over Ni-Based Pyrochlore Catalysts Using Transient Pulsing Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Dry reforming of methane requires temperatures of 750 – 950 °C to achieve near equilibrium conversions. A thermally robust and active catalyst, such...
Effect of Fast Pyrolysis Conditions on Structural Transformation and Reactivity of Herbaceous Biomasses at High Temperatures Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015Fast pyrolysis of wheat straw and rice husks was carried out in an entrained-flow reactor (EFR) and compared with the results from the wire-mesh...
Production of Synthetic Fuel from Anaerobic Digester Gas Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 11, 2015The waste generated from feed lots, dairy farms, meat processing, etc can be converted to a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide using anaerobic...
Microbial Conversion of Natural Gas to Biofuel Using a Naturally Occurring Methanotroph Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015Methane, the second most prominent greenhouse gas, comes from multiple sources including the production of and refining of petroleum, domestic...
Democratizing Fossil Fuel Conversion Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015Do you have a billion dollars? Neither do most of the 6 million companies in the Unites States. In fact, less than 10 companies in the U.S. can...
Oxy-Coal Power Boiler Simulation and Validation through Extreme Computing Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015Coal remains the low-cost but high carbon power generation option around the globe. We have studied the design of a 500 MW pulverized-coal boiler...
Impact of US Natural Gas Abundance on Carbon Management Strategies Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015The abundant supply of natural gas provided by the fracking boom has dramatically changed the options for carbon dioxide management. It appears that...
Accelerate Materials Design through Accurate Performance Prediction Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015Material challenges are at the core of many DOE energy objectives. Critical to Fossil Energy (FE) is the ability to predict performance under severe...
Dynamic Modeling of Steam Thermal Power Plants for Real-Time Optimization Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015The variable market demand, and the increasing safety and environmental regulations imposed on power plants, force operators to develop dynamic...
Pervaporation-Assisted Catalytic Conversion of Xylose to Furfural Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015Furfural produced from the biomass-derived xylose may serve as a platform molecule for sustainable fuel production. The Brønsted acid-catalyzed...
Kinetics of the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Papermaking Pulp Fines Conference PresentationAIChE Annual MeetingNovember 10, 2015Waste fibers from papermaking are often rejected due to quality and production issues. Since the rejected fibers also known as 'fines' are discharged...