• K n o w l e d g e • I n n o v a t i o n • E x p e r i e n c e
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
The chemical engineering science in NCL is a center of excellence in chemical engineering research, development and practice. Pattern formation, recognition and analysis of complex systems Safe operation of reacting/reactor systems
Mission & Goals
Leadership through discoveries, inventions, development and other R&D services. Assist industry through focused R&D projects, design, consultancy and other services. To undertake research in chemical engineering science with special reference to reaction engineering, separation science and engineering, process development, modelling, control and optimization. To exploit the fundamentals of chemical engineering science to improve operability, efficiency and quality of products from industrial reactors.
Glimpses of Current Research Advanced machine learning tools
Kernel based machine learning tools like support vector machines (SVM), kernel PCA etc. have been applied for nonlinear and diagnostic modelling, fault detection and identification and control of chemical engineering systems
(Chemical Engineering Progress, 2003, 98(1), 57-62, Chemical Engineering Science, 2003, 58, 4441-4448). Hybrid techniques involving data
Competencies
Catalytic reaction engineering Separation processes Modeling and simulation Artificial intelligence tools Large scale optimization Biochemical engineering Application of advanced tools to process engineering & bioinformatics
symbolization and use of conditional entropy minima in conjunction with support vector machines have been proposed as a robust classifier( Pattern Recognition, 2005, 38, 41-49). A novel wavelet-fractal theory assisted SVM was successfully employed for identification of reactor regimes and genes(Chemical Engineering
Science, 2006, 61(2), 688-697; Bioinformatics, 2005 21: 3818-3823).
Key R&D projects
Process improvements in soda ash plant & reducing energy consumption. Process trouble shooting and improvements in the fertilizer plant Recovery of antibiotics and enzymes Process for clarification of fruit juice Carotene synthesis by yeast Interactive database of chemical reactors Modeling & simulation of coal gasification Artificial intelligence & machine learning based process engineering software Wavelet-Fractal theory assisted support vector machines for characterization of process and biosignals Development of new applications for polyaluminium chloride Adsorptive sulfur removal from transportation fuels Detecting and removal of noise with applications Wavelet transforms and their applications Multidimensional scaling analysis in reaction engineering
Pattern recognition of spatiotemporal patterns by Isometric Graphing and Multi-Dimensional Scaling Analysis (IGMDS)
Large scale optimization
Our focus is on development of global optimisation techniques based on metaheuristics such as ant colony optimization, tabu search, simulated annealing, scatter search and their application to industrial scale process engineering problems. Software ants were successfully employed for design and scheduling of multiproduct batch plants (Computers and Chemical Engineering, 2000, 24, 1901) and for multiobjective optimisation of reactor-regeneration systems (Petroleum Science & Technology, 2003, 21, 1167). Metaheuristic algorithms were further employed to discover classification rules for multiple fault detection in reacting systems (Computers & Chemical Engineering, 2004, 28, 1577;
National Chemical Laboratory
Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pune 411 008
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
Hydrocarbon Processing, 1999, 78, 97; Computers and Chemical Engineering, 2000, 24, 1901).Tools such as tabu search and support vector
Catalytic reaction engineering
Kinetic modeling of chemical reactions, modeling and simulation of reactors, gallium and indium based catalysts for Friedel-Crafts type reactions ( J.Catal., 2000,192, 257) development of novel solid catalysts for fine chemicals .
machines have also been developed and applied to a number of problems of interest to chemical engineering.
Studies of complex systems and their dynamics
Model reduction and superior dimensionality reduction techniques applicable to complex space-time systems are beneficial in studying complex systems. (J. Chem. Phys., 2004, 120, 5432). Along with new wavelet based noise reduction algorithms system novel inferences not possible due to the complex dynamics have now been made possible (US patent 2001, 6,208,951;. AIChE J., 1999, 2461). Applications for online identification of safe operation of and advance detection of unsafe operation of unsafe operation of processes is now possible (US patent 6,826,513, B1, 2004). Multidimensional scaling techniques for studying complex systems show superior feature extraction in complex and large databases.
Separation processes
Polymer / ceramic membrane based separations, including membrane development, adsorption separation and reactive separation are part of the research and development activities.
feature space Input space
Mapping of data into higher dimensional feature space
Classification of pressure fluctuation data of gas-liquid stirred vessel into three different regimes using support vector machines
Nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory
Development of new methodologies for understanding the behavior of complex systems using contemporary theories in nonlinear dynamics, chaos, fractals and statistical physics is the focus activity. The adoption of a generalized approach permits interdisciplinary modeling and simulation with applications even in space-time turbulence (Phys. Rev. E, 2001, 056222). Along with new wavelet based noise reduction algorithms system novel inferences not possible due to the complex dynamics have now been made possible (US patent
2001, 6,208,951 .
Substantial research has been carried out in the area of separations, in general and ion exchange/adsorption, in particular. The problem of acid removal from aqueous streams has been studied from both academic and industrial application point of view for strong acids, weak acids and polybasic acids
(I & EC Res., 1992; I & EC Res., 1993; Separ. Sci. Technol., 1993; Separ. Sci. Technol., 1997; Separ Sci. Technol., 1998; Chem. Eng. Sci., 2000). Recently
separation of amino acids using continuous rotating annular chromatography has also been studied (Prog. Biotechnol,
Bioseparation Engineering, 2000; J. Chem. Eng. Japan, 2000).
Artificial intelligence systems
The activities focus on the theory and applications of various Artificial Intelligence (AI) paradigms such as neural networks, genetic algorithms, genetic programming and fuzzy logic. These formalisms have been utilized for developing modeling and optimization strategies for a variety of chemical, biological and chemical engineering systems, for instance, steady-state and dynamic modeling of lab-scale, pilot-plant scale and commercial scale processes, nonlinear process control, fault detection/diagnosis, monitoring, and process optimization. Recently, two novel hybrid formalisms integrating neural networks / genetic programming with the genetic algorithms have been proposed for process modeling and optimization (AIChE. J., 2001, 47(1), 126, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2002, 41, 2159). The principal advantage offered by the proposed methodologies is that process modeling and optimization can be performed directly from the process data, even in the absence of detailed knowledge about the physico-chemical phenomena (kinetics, thermodynamics, etc.) underlying a process.
Development of new types of sorbents by using biomass is also being investigated along with its applications (Proc. Int. Soc. Sugar
cane Technol., 2001; Int. Sugar Journal, 2003; Bioresource Technol., In Press-2005). Development and application of new adsorbents in
the selective removal of sulfur from transportation fuels is also being investigated which has implications in the area of pollution control and fuel cell (Chem. Eng. Sci., In Press-2005).
Biochemical Engineering
The main areas of activity of biochemical engineering group are applications of membrane separations in chemical and biochemical processes, microbial fermentation (enzymes, organic acids and secondary metabolites), immobilization of enzymes and ligands on polymeric and inorganic matrices for bioconversion of drug intermediates. Some of the major projects include process development for lactic acid fermentation, recovery of enzymes and plant products using membranes, clarification and improved storage stability of Palm Neera using membranes, and improved synthesis of gibberellic acid by Gibberella fujikuroi.
• Knowledge • Innovation • Experience
CONTACT
Dr. B. D. Kulkarni Email : bd.kulkarni@ncl.res.in