Fluid Agitation, Mixing, Fermentation, Vendor Evaluation, Blending, Gas Dispersion, Biofuels
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He received his BSChE from the University of Cincinnati in 1976, and has taken a course on Fermentation Biotechnology from The Center for Professional Advancement. A registered Professional Engineer in Ohio, he has over 40 years’ experience in the design of agitation systems, specializing in polymer reactors, fermentation and bioreactors. Currently his company does agitation, mixing and bioreactor design consultation, including designing pilot protocol, scaling up, equipment specification and bid evaluation. He has designed more than 150 fermenter agitators, as well as many polymer and biofuel agitation systems. He is a member of AIChE, ISPE, SIMB, SBE, American Mensa and the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. He is affiliated with Lee enterprise Consulting. He has authored more than 37 technical articles. He has specific experience doing business in China, having managed his former employer’s business there for years, and having consulted there for multiple clients. He has traveled to China dozens of times and is a student of its language and culture.
Expert has been involved in fluid agitation and mixing since 1976. Experience includes virtually all industries using agitators, including chemical, pharmaceutical, biofuel, polymer, coatings, water and wastewater, food processing, petroleum, mineral processing, etc.
Expert has designed multistage reaction systems such as polymer reactors, 3-phase clay bleaching reactors, enzyme hydrolysis, oil enzyme reactors, etc. Calculations include heat transfer, mass transfer, power draw, blend time, shear rate, residence time distribution, etc.
He has routinely scaled-up mixing systems for agitated reactors. Often the volumetric scale ratio has exceeded 1000 to 1.
Expert is heavily involved in the design of fermenters and other bioreactors. He consults on the design of pilot plant experiments to maximize useful data, interprets the data, scales up the mixing, heat transfer and mass transfer, writes equipment bid specifications, evaluates bids and can aid in start-up and troubleshooting. He can also consult on less crticial reactors and keep bidders on an equivalent basis.
Expert is first and foremost a mixing/agitation expert. When reactor mixing is critical, he can identify the controlling parameters for reactor design and scale-up. When kinetics and mixing are linked, he can aid in engineering pratical solutions to problems where ideal mixing is impossible to achieve.
He has spent his career designed fluid mixing systems for many applications including tank reactors. He can determine the mixing required and perform heat transfer calculations.
He has designed continuous flow reactor mixing systems for Nylon 6-6, starch liquefaction, starch saccharification and ethanol fermentation. For staged columns, he can calculate required mixing as well as stage efficiency and residence time distribution.
Expert has over 36 years experience in liquid mixing, including 25 years working for a major fluid agitator manufacturer and over 11 years as an independent consultant. He has encountered and solved liquid mixing applications in virtually every industry.
Designed numerous continuous flow staged reaction or mass transfer systems, for applications as diverse as clay bleaching and polymerization of Nylon-6-6. Wrote detailed process and mechanical specifications for an agitation system for viscous gum fermentation.Evaluated the feasibility of new processes using existing mixing equipment. Performed laboratory testing in his company's facilities for grain processing applications, and also for cellulosic ethanol. Tests included a variety of feedstocks and up to 22% solids.Did process and mechanical troubleshooting on-site for a major pharmaceutical manufacturer.