(458a) Research Challenges and Opportunities in Pathway Toward Sustainable Society

Maintaining adequate future supplies of energy and water requires the creation of a pathway to sustainable energy and water that is both multi-faceted and complex. An effective pathway aims to improve the reliability, security, and affordability of energy and water by: utilizing a least-cost strategy to reduce the negative impact of energy consumption on climate change and water availability; emphasizing the gradual decarbonization of the global energy system; increasing energy efficiency and conservation; and preserving natural resources and the environment.

A successful pathway to sustainability must include short-term, transitional, and long-term plans that must be launched simultaneously. This presentation will discuss the critical contribution of Chemical Engineering research to the successful implementation of these plans.

In this presentation the role of Chemical Engineering research in carbon capture processes, particle pulverization as a recycling tool for polymeric and elastomeric materials, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research in the production of natural gas from unconsolidated hydrate reservoirs, production of biofuel and renewable energy research including heat transfer medium for concentrated solar power (CSP) systems will be presented.