European projects
The Centre supports the next EU Projects:
- AITEKIN: Combination of AI techniques and software with advanced reactor equipment for efficient kinetics analysis in the chemical industry.
- SHERPA: Sustainable Heat and Energy Research for Heat Pump Applications.
- INSERT: Integrating Separation and Reaction Technologies.
- ECOPHOS: It involves the development of a new research and innovation strategy for the waste minimisation and utilisation in the phosphoric acid industry.
- PRISM: Knowledge-Based Processing Systems.
- EuPaCE.net: European Network for eLearning in Process and Chemical Engineering.
- Eubionet: Efficient trading of biomass fuels and analysis of fuel supply chains for different market actors by networking.
AITEKIN
Combination of AI techniques and software with advanced reactor equipment for efficient kinetics analysis in the chemical industry
See: Aitekin website
This research is aimed at developing a system that uses artificial intelligence software to improve the efficiency and reduce costs in the chemical industry. Chemical reactors are the core of most chemical processes. Here, the raw materials are transformed into higher value products. In recent years, commercial software has been developed that allows chemical reactors to be modelled and optimised.
Unfortunately, the information required to provide an adequate model for chemical reactors is not available. This means that the advanced software that is available for the modelling and optimisation of these units cannot be applied. Project AITEKIN aims to bridge the cap between experimentation and the development of models for chemical reactors such that as their performance can be improved significantly. The project will use artificial intelligence and will consider both catalytic and bio-chemical reaction systems.
The project providers that will work in partnership with UMIST are Polimeri Europa and UOP UK Limited, along with a number of small to medium sized enterprises in Europe. The project co-ordinator is Dr Ing Eugenio Pelosio of Technosind, Roma Srl (Italy). The main UMIST researchers are Dr Constantinos Theodoropoulos, Dr Jiri Klemes and Professor Robin Smith, with UMIST granted 195,000 Euros for the work.
SHERPA
Sustainable Heat and Energy Research for Heat Pump Applications
See: Sherpa website
Heat pumps are devices for upgrading low temperature heat to make it more useful at a higher temperature. Typical applications of heat pumping are space using and the provision of domestic hot water. It has been estimated that doubling the number of heat pumps to upgrade waste heat in Europe could lead to annual CO2 emission savings of up to 40 million tonnes per year. To achieve such an ambitious target on a European level, and to support the creation of a strong market impact, a dedicated project towards small and medium sized enterprises has been initiated.
The new environmental regulations concerning protection of the ozone layer will lead to the phasing out of conventional chemicals used for heat pumps. Ozone damaging chemicals will be replaced by more environmentally friendly chemicals. Such changes mean that the design of heat pumps and their control systems need to be modified accordingly.
During the first half of this project, the components of the system will be developed, tested and optimised for use with new heat pumping fluids. The second half of the project will develop and test prototype heat pumps prior to field tests. In parallel with these research activities, a training programme will be set up to include technical training and e-learning for engineers.
The project core group associated with project SHERPA is composed of 19 small to medium sized enterprises from 11 countries, including participants from the newly associated states of the EU. The research work will be performed in 10 centres of excellences, including the Process Integration activities at UMIST. The co-ordinator is Dr Bernard Thonon of GRETh in Grenoble, created in 1983 by the French Agency for Energy Management and French Energy Commission. The main UMIST researchers are Dr Jin-Kuk Kim and Dr Jiri Klemes, with Simon Perry providing the training element. UMIST will receive a grant of over 142,000 Euros for the project.
INSERT
Integrating Separation and Reaction Technologies
See: Insert website
The INSERT project deals with the integration of reaction and separation technologies in chemical processes. The project will aim to develop novel technologies that will improve the yield of product from raw materials, product quality, and energy consumption, reduce environmental impact and reduce capital investment in a wide range of industries from the petrochemical industry through to the pharmaceutical industries.
In chemical processes the transformation of raw materials into design chemical products cannot be achieved in a single step. Instead, a series of steps involving reaction, separation, heating, cooling, and so on are connected together to provide the overall transformation. The dominant feature of chemical processes is, however, the reaction and separation steps and their interconnection. If these two steps can be brought together in novel ways then chemical processes can achieve a significant improvement in their overall performance. This is the aim of the INSERT project.
Dr Eugeny Kenig, at the University of Dortmund is the INSERT co-ordinator. The main industrial partners are BASF GmbH and Bayer AG from Germany, EniTechnolgie from Italy, Eveco Brno sro from the Czech Republic, SULZER AG from Switzerland, National Oil Corporation PETROM SA from Romania, Process Design Centre BV from the Netherlands, Research and Development Centre for refining industry in from Plock in Poland, the Universities of Genoa and Pisa from Italy, University Politehnica of Bucharest from Romania and the University of Stuttgart from Germany. Dr Megan Jobson, Senior Lecturer from CPI UMIST will be main contributor to the research, and is Team Leader for the theoretical aspects of the project, which will benefit from a grand of over 250,000 Euros.
ECOPHOS
FP6 INCO-COPERNICUS
See: Ecophos website
ECOPHOS involves the development of a new research and innovation strategy for the waste minimisation and utilisation in the phosphoric acid industry. The main aim is the development of ecologically sustainable, environmentally friendly, resource and energy saving industrial process technology for the production of a wide-class of phosphorus-containing substances.
Analysis of methods of phosphorous acid production has proved that despite extensive application of phosphorous acid, the data on phosphorous acid synthesis kinetics are very scarce and the existing production methods are far from being efficient. On the other hand, the use of phosphorus sludge instead of expensive white phosphorous can be advantageous and provide a sustainable solution of the phosphorus sludge utilization problem. The research carried out by the the project participants on kinetics of interaction of phosphorus sludge with iodine is pioneering and will be absolutely necessary for the achievement of environmentally friendly phosphorous acid production and waste minimisation.
Data for the kinetics of synthesis of dibasic lead phosphite-stabilizer of polymeric materials are very limited. Preliminary studies show that production of dibasic lead phosphite synthesis from sodium phosphite (produced in its turn from phosphorus sludge) can be an effective solution of waste utilisation and environmental protection technology development.
Mathematical models describing physico-chemical nature of production processes of sodium phosphite and hypophosphite, phosphorous acid, dibasic lead phosphite are absent in the literature. Development of accurate mathematical models with the direct implementation of advanced computer-aided tools for the synthesis, design and optimisation of processes will enable the achievement of the key objectives in the minimisation of waste generation and energy consumption.
Improvement of quality of phosphate fertilizers (including prolonged ones) will be addressed in the project. The improved quality means more cost effective and environmentally friendly application of the fertilisers. Application of the aqua-accumulating fertilizers production technologies is an actual problem of agriculture in arid and drought suffering areas.
Dr Panos Seferlis, CERTH/CPERI, will the ECOPHOS co-ordinator. The main industrial partners are Phosphoric Fertilisers Industry (PFI), Greece, Promtrak, Russia, Sodruzhestvo-T (Ukraine), Firth Executive Ltd (UK). Main research will be carried out in leading academic institutions: CERTH/CPERI (Greece), UoM (UK), UniDo (Germany), UPC (Spain), VUT (Czech Republic), Mendeleev University, St Petersburg State Technological University, IREA (Russia), South Kazakhstan State University (Kazakhstan). The UoM researchers are Prof. Robin Smith, Dr Jiri Klemes and Dr Igor Bulatov, supported by Dr Nan Zhang. The UoM will receive a grant of 140,050 Euros for the project.
PRISM
Knowledge-Based Processing Systems: FP6 Marie Curie
See: Prism website
Partners Germany , Spain , the Czech Republic , Greece , Denmark , the Netherlands , Slovenia . (The UoM share 215,000 Euros).
Research supervisor Prof Robin Smith, training manager Dr Jiri Klemes.
EuPaCE.net
European Network for eLearning in Process and Chemical Engineering - FP6 2003 4828/001 001IST-1999-29003
See: EuPaCE.net website
Partners Germany , France , Spain , the UK , Romania (UMIST share 47,410 Euros).
Main contribution from Dr Jiri Klemes and Simon Perry.
EUBIONET II
Efficient trading of biomass fuels and analysis of fuel supply chains for different market actors by networking
See: EUBIONET II website
Partners Finland , Austria , Belgium , Denmark , Germany , Greece , Portugal , Sweden , Spain , Ireland . (The UoM share 49,520 Euros).
Main Contribution from Prof Robin Smith and Jiri Klemes.