2012 AIChE Annual Meeting

(33c) The Engineering System Beyond Reaction Engineering

Author

Williams, R., Princeton Environmental Institute

LK Doraiswamy explored many areas in and made significant contributions to chemical reaction engineering.  The field continues to grow and evolve as highlighted by a number of the papers in this session.  Here, we explore issues in the commercial application of a technology, which is an important part of the engineering system beyond chemical reaction engineering.  Commercial application is one of the primary functions of chemical engineering.  Coal conversion to power and fuels faces many issues; among them are criteria emissions, life-cycle CO2  emissions, mercury and other heavy metals emissions, water consumption, and (not the least) economics.  Addressing these issues separately will often lead to solutions that are different from those that would emerge from the more challenging approach of addressing them simultaneously.  A series of options is explored for addressing key issues and a pathway that could become commercial economic reality is discussed.  A viable pathway could involve co-gasification of coal and biomass, and co-production of electricity and fuels, with the captured CO2 being sold for Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO2 EOR).  This combination has potential to be competitive on all fronts; but it still faces major hurdles; and other options can also be expected to play a role in coal utilization.
See more of this Session: Memorial Session in Honor of Prof. LK Doraiswamy

See more of this Group/Topical: Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Division