Process System Engineering

My research focuses on the optimization and the design of the process to improve production through mathematical simulations. The simulation tools are including Aspen Plus, MATLAB, and R. The goal of my research is to design a new process or to manipulate the current process to achieve and optimal production rate with satisfactory product quality and to minimize operating costs and environmental impacts. My focus is on the reduction of energy consumption and environmental impacts including CO₂ emission. My work includes both process and equipment designs. We have been working on several process design projects including ETBE production from naphtha cracking byproducts, upgrading naphtha reformate wastes, and syngas production from biodiesel wastes.

Response Surface Optimization

In practical operations, there are a large number of factors that affect the productivity of the process. Generally, Chemical Engineering research focuses on determining the effect of one factor at a time (OFAT) which is ineffective to find the optimal operating conditions and can easily misinterpret the system behavior. Several differential equations are used to explain phenomena for each chemical engineering system. It is very challenging to determine obvious relationships between multiple factors. Response surface optimization methodology is a powerful tool to help determine the optimal operating conditions. It is impossible to run millions of simulations to find the relationship of a large number of factors. Response surface methodology helps setting up the simulation conditions to run the minimum number of simulations while to obtain the maximum information. Linear regression equation can then be constructed to interpret the importance of the factors and their relationships. Response surface optimization is used very often in my research topics.

Multifunctional Unit Operations

Multifunctional unit operation is a unit operation that integrates two or more unit operations. My work focuses on both simulations and experiments. The process simulations have been focusing on a reactive distillation column and a reactive adsorption column for biodiesel production and on membrane reactor for syngas and hydrogen production from methane and ethanol. The laboratory works include a hybrid process of crystallization and a membrane separation focusing on the chiral separation of glutamic acid. My current laboratory work includes reactive crystallization for CO₂ capture.

Separation Technology

Separation technology is one of the key processes in chemical industry. My work focuses on process simulations and experiments to improve the separation efficiency. The recent topics are related to distillation, crystallization, and membrane separation.

Energy, CO₂ Reduction and Utilization

Nowadays, energy is one of the most concerned issues in all aspects. It is important to design a process that consumes the least amount of energy or to utilize the energy within the process with the minimum loss through heat integration network. My recent publication is about the reduction of energy and CO₂ emission from distillation process by using additional turbines. The CO₂ emission can be reduced from the reduction of energy consumption. Energy usage also has strong impact on the environment. If CO₂ emission cannot be reduced, it is important to capture CO₂ and utilize it. At present, we are trying to capture CO₂ through reactive crystallization process.

Bio-Energy

Biofuel receives great attention from both academia and industry as an alternative green energy. The use of biofuel expands across the globe as it is the best way to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Bioethanol is an alcohol produced by the fermentation of sugar molecules in plant materials. Biodiesel is produced through transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats. Thailand produces enormous amounts of agricultural products and wastes annually. Therefore, Thailand’s agricultural waste is an attractive feedstock for biofuel production. Currently, biofuel has been blended in a small portion with petroleum fuel as the price of biofuel is still high in comparison. Therefore, it is important to select an appropriate feedstock, design a process, investigate the process feasibility, and assess the process profitability through process simulations before establishing a sustainable process to produce biofuel in Thailand. Current processes of interest include reactive distillation and reactive adsorption.