Expert Details
Fuel Additives, Chemical Process Development, Tech Evaluation and Due Diligence, Recycling of plastics and waste, Circular Economy
ID: 735202
Texas, USA
Over the years, he has become recognized as experts in engineering, techno-economic assessment and operational due-diligence, in the following areas:
• Fuel Quality, petroleum chemistry and Fuel additives: Expert has been involved in production and product development of fuel characteristics that offer notable opportunity to increase of fuel efficiency and reduction such as sulphur and detergency in gasoline and lubricity and cetane in diesel. Through laboratory research and computer-based simulations, I have successfully developed IP for novel fuel-additive formulations to achieve performance goals, quality assurance and compliance to federal fuels and renewable fuel regulations.
He has designed and delivered fuel additive systems for fuel efficiency and emissions reduction in diesel and gasoline. These additives achieved 5-10% improvements consistently on fuel efficiency and 20% in emissions, soot formation and PM beating the industry state-of-the-art is 3% (Shell, Technron). The additives he developed were certified and registered with EPA. Expert also amalgamated analytics, market research and technology to devise innovative sales and marketing strategies for the fuel-additive product in Alberta, Manitoba and Mexico.
• Circular Economy and Recycling of Plastics: currently leading projects on full chemical recycling of mixed waste plastics to fuel, energy and monomer for clients in chemicals and olefins and renewable energy projects. Activities involve techno-economic evaluations of approaches in gasification and pyrolysis with a strong focus on pragmatic and commercially viable outcomes. Have screened more than 60 plastics to fuel technology providers worldwide for a client to settle on 7 promising candidate technologies. In conducting this work, have investigated technologies such as flash pyrolysis, microwave heating, plasma reactors and novel pathways and byproducts.
• Renewable Energy Projects: Expert has a strong background in production process technology, commercial implementation and cost economics for syn gas to chemicals, and fuel projects having designed and simulated 10-million-gallon capacity refineries producing ASTM standard fuel. These design reports and process economics have featured in internationally reputed peer reviewed journals. Expert is proficient in process and pilot plant design engineering (process and experimental design evaluation and optimization) and developing PFD’s and P&ID diagrams and running process simulations in engineering packages such as gPROMS, Aspen Hysys and Aspen Plus. Expert has also provided services in natural gas valorization and syn gas to chemicals (FTO processes).
• Olefins and Hydrocarbons: Expert has been involved in process engineering projects in oxidative coupling of methane (OCM), oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) and mixed plastics recycling to the monomers. Through laboratory research and course work, Expert is familiar with reaction engineering, polymerization chemistry and measurement of physical and chemical properties of plastic product. His background in chemical process design is directly applicable to areas related to reactor and plant design.
• Independent Process/Technology Review, Due Diligence and Investment Analysis: Expert has worked on numerous due-diligence and technology review projects for clients in Europe and N America employing industry leading practices to analyze complex investment structures and operating environments to deliver technical assessment and due diligence services in process design evaluation, cost forecasting, investment appraisal and risk analysis. He is fluent in reviewing process taking safety, environmental and economic aspects into account, instituting scale-up and scale-down, optimizing production by analyzing processes and doing waste reduction and emission cuts and cost calculations.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 2016 | Degree: Ph.D. | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: University of Waterloo |
| Year: 2012 | Degree: Master's | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: IIT Kharagpur |
| Year: 2011 | Degree: Bachelor's | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: IIT Kharagpur |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2016 to 2021 | Employer: NOVA Chemicals | Title: Research Process Engineer | Department: Petrochemicals |
Responsibilities:Was in a range of R&D, process engineering and design, feasibility studies and development projects relating to technologies in plastics recycling and circular economy and natural gas valorization to ethylene and petrochemicals. Activities included analyses and experimental studies assessing the feasibility of different chemical processes and components to support scale-up to larger demonstrations and eventual commercialization.Key Position Accountabilities: 1. Concept development – For candidate thermochemical processes, develop concepts for reactors, process schemes, and other relevant components. 2. Analytical studies – Using first principles and published research as a guide, conduct analytical evaluation of the concepts under consideration 3. Experimental studies – Where relevant information is lacking, design and conduct experiments to inform deeper understanding of the concepts under consideration 4. Process and plant support – Work closely with Chemical Process Engineers to mature the concept into processes ready for demonstration-level and eventual commercial-scale deployments 5. Techno-economic analysis - By linking process parameters to financial metrics, I help assess economic feasibility and profitability of NOVA’s technology development projects. 6. Cost and Emissions Quantification - Screening candidate technologies against baseline/technology benchmarks |
|||
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2013 to 2016 | Employer: DIFREX | Title: Modeling Specialist | Department: Reactor Design and Process Modeling |
Responsibilities:Responsibilities included: consulting on existing/upcoming reactor systems, certification/quick check of third party design, experimental validation of recommended design, debottlenecking/retrofit/revamp and emergency response. Also helped develop reactor modules for reactor and reaction modelling for a wide range of reactors.Research Engineering responsibilities included : Research and technology development in the field of petrochemicals, applying skills in process simulation, optimization, and techno-economic evaluation. Themes include valorization of natural gas (methane) - steam reforming, ethylene and aromatics, gasoline (MTG) and other alcohols (MTO). Oxidative dehydrogenation of alkanes (ODH) and Pyrolysis/Gasification |
|||
Career Accomplishments
| Licenses / Certifications |
|---|
| Professional Engineer in the Province of Alberta |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| A Kinetic model for a Single Step Biodiesel Production from a High Free Fatty Acid (FFA) Biodiesel Feedstock over a Solid Heteropolyacid Catalyst A new green process for biodiesel production from waste oils via catalytic distillation using a solid acid catalyst–Modeling, economic and environmental analysis Production of isooctane from isobutene: energy integration and carbon dioxide abatement via catalytic distillation Transesterification of triglyceride to fatty acid alkyl esters (biodiesel): comparison of utility requirements and capital costs between reaction separation and catalytic … Biodegradable nanocomposites of cellulose acetate phthalate and chitosan reinforced with functionalized nanoclay: mechanical, thermal, and biodegradability studies |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| Currently serving as an expert witness in a lawsuit involving two marine-fuel additive companies. |