OUR WORK
Systems Engineering, Process and Product Design, Green Engineering, Supercritical Fluid Technology
Our research group focuses on enabling sciences and technologies that form a transformational basis for development of novel engineered systems and aim to provide sustainable solutions to current societal concerns. Green pathways, utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide and water, and global computational methods—such as genetic programming, finite elements, Monte Carlo simulation, mixed integer linear programming, and homotopy continuation methods—shape our integrated experimental and computational approach. The current themes are:
- Synthesis of Nano-structured particles for energy storage and delivery, targeted delivery of therapeutics, and catalysis. Supercritical fluids are used for deposition, template removal, drying, foaming and encapsulation in design and development of portfolio of nano-structured functional material. Sponsored by NASA, DOD, and FHTC.
- Design and Development of Self Heating and Cooling Products: Novel products with temperature modulation capability are developed. Smart polymers, phase change materials, reaction modulation, particle encapsulation, self assembly and CAD modeling are enabling elements utilized. Sponsored by Donovan Industries, TempTroll and Florida High Tech Counsel (FHTC).
- Fractionation of Chiral compound, isolation of medically active components such as neutraceuticals, extraction of clean fuels from natural matrices such as algal biomass using supercritical fluids, and development of intensified pathways for conversion of waste to fuels such as biodiesel. Global phase diagrams with reliable computational methods, coupled with well designed property measurements, provide an effective fundamental basis for development of these green processes. Sponsored by USF and CERC.
- Development of multi-scale operational policies and management systems for wastewater. Sponsored by Hillsborough County Public Utilities Department.
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
Over the years, I enjoyed teaching and developing new courses, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels. My regular teaching assignment has been the capstone design series that evolved from process design to incorporate product design principles. The list includes:
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
Additional courses: Separation Processes and Phase Equilibrium, Mass Transfer, Unit Operations Laboratory, Process Engineering Laboratory, Foundations of Engineering
GRADUATE COURSES
Additional courses: Computer Aided Process Engineering I (Steady-State Processes) & II (Un-Steady State Processes), Advanced Separation Processes and Phase Equilibrium, Advanced Reaction Engineering, Applied Computer Algebra for Engineers and Physical Sciences, Process Systems Engineering Laboratory, Advanced Thermodynamics, Green Engineering
The development activity included Web-based Teaching Modules and Design Course Series for Spiral Chemical Engineering Curriculum, both funded by NSF. I also organized and directed a NATO Advanced Study Institute on Batch Processing Systems. Continuing education courses on Computer Aided Process Design (1986-90) and Artificial Intelligence (1988-90) were also developed and taught globally.
