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Current Projects
Controlling Heterogeneity in Plant Cell Culture and Secondary Product Accumulation
PIs: Susan C. Roberts (primary) and Michael A. Henson
Student: Shoujun Bian
Sponsors: National Science Foundation (Grant #073079)
The objective of this project is to understand and model the effects of plant cell heterogeneity on the production of valuable secondary metabolites. The anticancer agent paclitaxel produced from Taxus suspension cell cultures is used as a model system.
Dynamic Modeling of Yeast Metabolism for Bioethanol Production
PI: Michael A. Henson
Student: Jared Hjersted
Sponsors: Process Design and Control Center
The objective of this project is to develop genome-scale metabolic models for the dynamic analysis of genetic engineering strategies on metabolite synthesis in batch and fed-batch culture. The research is focused on enhancing ethanol production by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for alternative fuel applications.
Integrated Product and Process Design for Structured Emulsions
PIs: Michael A. Henson (primary), Surita Bhatia, D. Julian McClements and Michael F. Malone
Student: Neha Raikar and Jason Rosenberg
Sponsors: National Science Foundation (Grant #0730795), Unilever and American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (Grant #44526-AC9)
The objective of this project is to develop modeling and design strategies that allow rapid innovation and effective manufacturing of emulsified products with targeted end-use properties. The research is currently focused on structured emulsions produced by high pressure homogenization for the delivery of nutraceuticals such as ω-3 fatty acids and lycopene, which are increasingly important for improving human health and performance.
Reactive Distillation for Vinyl Ether Synthesis
PIs: Michael F. Malone (primary) and Robert S. Huss
Student: Wei Qi
Sponsor: KSE, Inc. via subcontract from Department of Energy SBIR Program
Reactive distillation can lower energy consumption, improve the yields of reactions, enhance production of desired products, and reduce manufacturing costs. This project will develop a novel reactive distillation technology, along with improved catalysts, for an important chemical intermediate, vinyl ether. In Phase I, new catalysts were developed specifically for reactive distillation, laboratory performance data were generated to demonstrate process feasibility, and process simulations and economic studies showed the competitive advantage of the new reactive distillation technology.
Reduction of Distillation Usage in the Manufacture of Ethanol by Reactive Water Separation
PI: Michael F. Malone
Students: Wei Qi
Sponsor: KSE, Inc. via subcontract from Department of Energy SBIR Program
The production of ethanol fuel from biomass is energy intensive, primarily during the separation of ethanol from water by distillation. This project will develop a reactant to remove water from ethanol by energy-efficient reactive separation. The reactant will enable cost-effective use of a biomass substitute for imported oil, and furthermore, reduce total energy usage in the manufacture of transportation fuels and industrial chemicals.
Recent Projects
Modeling and Control of Cryogenic Air Separation Plants
PIs: Michael Henson and Lawrence Megan (Praxair)
Sponsors: National Science Foundation (Grant # 0241211), Praxair and Aspen Technology
Students: Shoujun Bian, Zhongzhou Chen and Suabtragool Khowinij
The objective of this project was to develop nonlinear modeling and control technology that allows rapid and frequent production rate changes in air separation plants. A nonlinear model predictive control strategy based on reduced-order compartmental models was developed for cryogenic distillation columns.
Kinetic Modeling of Metallocene Catalyzed Propylene Polymerization
PIs: Michael Henson and Bryan Coughlin
Sponsors: General Electric, Process Design and Control Center, Materials
Research Science and Engineering Center on Polymers (Grant DMR-0213695)
Student: Bernabe Quevedo
The objective of this project was to develop kinetic models that allow quantitative prediction of production rate and molecular weight in metallocene catalyzed polymerization of propylene. Alternative kinetic mechanisms for the coordination-insertion reaction scheme were investigated by performing kinetic parameter estimation with continuous reaction rate measurements and end-of-batch molecular weight and end-group measurements.
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