A tribute to professor Roger Sargent: Intellectual leader of process systems engineering

This article and this issue of the AIChE Journal, is a tribute to Professor Roger Sargent who, as pioneer and intellectual leader of process systems engineering, has had a profound impact on the discipline of chemical engineering. Spanning more than five decades, his work has provided a strong mathematical foundation to process systems engineering through the development of sophisticated mathematical and computational tools for the simulation, design, control, operation and optimization of chemical processes. In this article we first give a brief overview of his career that included several leadership positions and the establishment of the Centre for Process Systems Engineering (CPSE) at Imperial College London. We next review his research contributions in the areas of process modeling, differential algebraic systems, process dynamics and control, nonlinear optimization and optimal control, design under uncertainty, and process scheduling. We highlight the tremendous impact that he has had through his students, students' students, and his entire academic family tree, which at present contains over 2000 names, probably one of the largest among the academic leaders of chemical engineering. Finally, we provide a brief overview of him as a modest and charming individual with a wonderful sense of humor. He is without doubt a true intellectual giant who has helped to expand the scope of chemical engineering by providing a strong systems component to it, and by establishing strong multidisciplinary links with other fields. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 62: 2951–2958, 2016     

Diffusion in Nanoporous Solids in the Focus of IUPAC – A Tribute to Jens Weitkamp

In bidding farewell to Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Weitkamp, we remember his many activities and his beneficial influence on the development of science, notably in the various fields of chemical technology and engineering. These activities include his engagement in support of the development of techniques dedicated to improvement of our understanding of the complex phenomenon of mass transfer in nanoporous materials, as both an ingenious scientist and a brilliant organizer and gifted leader of scientific alliances. The present contribution provides a brief introduction to the many facets of research in this field, with particular recognition of the most recent developments and Prof. Weitkamp's contributions.     

化学工程学家郭慕孙的“工程”情结

作为著名的化学工程学家,郭慕孙将自己的一生献给了他所挚爱的科技事业。本文以学术成长经历为主线,重点记述了郭慕孙人生各阶段的经历与成就：少年时,立志“做名像父亲一样的工程师”;青年时,勤奋学习,努力工作,积累知识,报效祖国;中年时,回国加入中国科学院化工冶金研究所从事流态化、颗粒学和过程工程的研究;晚年时,为国家科技事业的发展献计献策、关心培养青少年。虽然先生已逝,但其爱国情怀、科学精神和学术风骨永远值得后人敬仰与传承。     

Paying Homage to the Lifetime Achievements of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Weitkamp

The lifetime achievements of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Weitkamp are honored covering his education and career, his outstanding scientific contributions related to the fields of catalysis and porous materials, his scientific recognitions and services in a number of academic offices as well as his strong engagement with respect to the promotion of science and engineering.     

Segmentation of map image using opponent color dimensions

This article describes a method for segmentation of color geographic map images based on color opponency. In this method, a color-map image is transformed into a color opponent representation as proposed for human vision. The color contrast is enhanced in a manner analogous to the opponent surround receptive fields. The enhancement process separates adjacent foreground and background regions into pairs of opponent colors. The segmentation process can then be easily completed based on this opponent structure. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

化工原理教学改革探索

化工原理课程是化工类及相近专业的一门主要技术基础课。课程教学水平的高低,对学生的业务素质和工程能力的培养起着至关重要的作用。文章对化工原理课程的教学方法改革进行了探讨。在研究型教学培养学生求实创新能力、类比教学培养学生创造性思维能力、与实践紧密结合培养学生实际应用能力、生产实习多元化提高学生综合素质等方面进行了实践,取得了较好的教学效果。     

The Neal Amundson era. Rapid evolution of chemical engineering science

Neal Amundson (1916–2011) influenced the chemical engineering profession more profoundly than any other single individual, and in this article the author has attempted to capture the man and his era, as well as his lasting legacy. His influence extended well beyond those of other chemical engineers of renown, whether they were known for exploring and establishing new avenues, or for the resolution of outstanding issues, or for other forms of creative endeavors. Amundson reached into the depths of the profession, noted for its expanse, complexity and diversity that had led earlier efforts into a shrine of empiricism, to foster a culture of strongly scientific thinking with a mathematical edifice, which must be the crux of all engineering. The growth of chemical engineering science owes most significantly to Amundson's extraordinary role as an educator, department head and leader, and to the lasting impact of his contributions to chemical engineering research and practice. This article is in salutation of the man who came to be known as the Minnesota Chief, and was responsible for an academic movement that raised the intellectual level of the chemical engineering profession. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3147–3157, 2013     

化学工程发展方向

介绍了化学工程的发展方向:反应过程与分离过程的结合,多个反应过程或多个分离过程的结合,强化化学作用对分离过程的影响及优化化工动态过程。     

Engineering organoid microfluidic system for biomedical and health engineering: A review

In recent years, organoid technology, i.e., in vitro three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture, has attracted increasing attention in biomedical engineering. Organoids are cell complexes induced by differentiation of stem cells or organ-progenitor cells in vitro using 3D culture technology. They can replicate the key structural and functional characteristics of the target organs in vivo. With the opening up of this new field of health engineering, there is a need for engineering-system approaches to the production, control, and quantitative analysis of organoids and their microenvironment. Traditional organoid technology has limitations, including lack of physical and chemical microenvironment control, high heterogeneity, complex manual operation, imperfect nutritional supply system, and lack of feasible online analytical technology for the organoids. The introduction of microfluidic chip technology into organoids has overcome many of these limitations and greatly expanded the scope of applications. Engineering organoid microfluidic system has become an interdisciplinary field in biomedical and health engineering. In this review, we summarize the development and culture system of organoids, discuss how microfluidic technology has been used to solve the main technical challenges in organoid research and development, and point out new opportunities and prospects for applications of organoid microfluidic system in drug development and screening, food safety, precision medicine, and other biomedical and health engineering fields.     

Is Gender Equality Still an Issue? Gender (Im)balances in STEM

In recent years, considerable efforts have been made to support women to study and work in STEM fields. Nevertheless, inequalities remain, and women are clearly underrepresented in STEM. There is still a pervasive issue with the retention and progression of women in academia. How big is this problem actually, how can we promote diversity, equality and inclusion in academia, and how can we counteract unconscious bias?     

A review of the contributions of P. Raj Bishnoi to chemical engineering

This paper provides a review of Professor Bishnoi's research contributions in the broad discipline of chemical engineering. Prof. Bishnoi has been a dedicated mentor, collaborator, innovator, and outstanding researcher. He has had a most productive and illustrious career, spanning more than four decades in both academia and industry. He is among the top 50 most-published authors of the The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. He initiated a most successful and renowned research group at the University of Calgary, which was dedicated to the understanding of thermodynamics and kinetics related to the formation and decomposition of gas hydrates as well as the chemical engineering process design and simulation. As a tribute to Prof. Bishnoi's numerous scientific and engineering contributions and innovations, this review highlights his academic and research accomplishments, which included the training of several doctoral degree students, master's degree students, and postdoctoral scholars and research associates. In this paper, we have divided Prof. Bishnoi's research contributions into three broad areas, namely, chemical thermodynamics of hydrocarbon systems, process development and simulation, and thermodynamics and kinetics of the formation and decomposition of gas hydrates.     

Exploring materials locally available to teach chemistry experimentally in developing countries

Chemistry is a basic science and it is present in most aspects of daily life. For being an instrument of human formation, assume a special role that expands cultural horizons and autonomy in the exercise of citizenship. Therefore, it is important that this subject is taught from an everyday life perspective so that it fulfills its transforming role. One of the problems that most developing countries face in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is the lack of conventional materials and reagents for practical classes and demonstrations. Therefore, the present work aimed to build a breathalyzer simulator to be applied in a teaching class of chemistry. Several steps were followed since the construction of the breathalyzer, tests of its functionality using local alcoholic drinks as a source of ethanol and finally strategies were proposed for its application in the classroom. The results showed that the simulated breathalyzer was constructed using locally available materials, such as chalk, pen tubes and birthday balloons. Furthermore, during the device functional test was possible to observe color changes resulting from the interaction between the ethanol in the drinks and the acidic dichromate solution. Based on the results obtained, strategies were proposed for its usage in the classroom.     

Liquid membrane technology: fundamentals and review of its applications

OVERVIEW: During the past two decades, liquid membrane technology has grown into an accepted unit operation for a wide variety of separations. The increase in the use of this technology owing to strict environmental regulations and legislation together with the wider acceptance of this technology in preference to conventional separation processes has led to a spectacular advance in membrane development, module configurations, applications, etc. IMPACT: Liquid membrane technology makes it possible to attain high selectivity as well as efficient use of energy and material relative to many other separation systems. However, in spite of the known advantages of liquid membranes, there are very few examples of industrial applications because of the problems associated with the stability of the liquid membrane. APPLICATIONS: Liquid membrane technology has found applications in the fields of chemical and pharmaceutical technology, biotechnology, food processing and environmental engineering. On the other hand, its use in other fields, such as in the case of hydrogen separation, the recovery of aroma compounds from fruits, the application of ionic liquids in the membrane formulation, etc., is increasing rapidly. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Magnetic separations: From steel plants to biotechnology

Magnetic separations have for decades been essential processes in diverse industries ranging from steel production to coal desulfurization. In such settings magnetic fields are used in continuous flow processes as filters to remove magnetic impurities. High gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) has found even broader use in wastewater treatment and food processing. Batch scale magnetic separations are also relevant in industry, particularly biotechnology where fixed magnetic separators are used to purify complex mixtures for protein isolation, cell separation, drug delivery, and biocatalysis. In this review, we introduce the basic concepts behind magnetic separations and summarize a few examples of its large scale application. HGMS systems and batch systems for magnetic separations have been developed largely in parallel by different communities. However, in this work we compare and contrast each approach so that investigators can approach both key areas. Finally, we discuss how new advances in magnetic materials, particularly on the nanoscale, as well as magnetic filter design offer new opportunities for industries that have challenging separation problems.     

Digitally reconstructing Van Gogh's Field with Irises near Arles part 3: Determining the original colors

In earlier articles, we determined the spatial distributions and concentrations of all pigments used by Van Gogh in his painting Field with Irises near Arles. The colors of some pigments are expected to have changed over time, especially those of chrome yellow, cochineal, and eosin lake. For all pigments in this painting, we made physical paint reconstructions by following historical sources on raw materials and production processes, and we determined their optical properties. We combined this with pigment concentration maps to reconstruct the original colors of the painting digitally. When substituting the reconstruction paints into the calculations, we found that technical‐scientific data was not sufficient to resolve several issues. In those cases, discussions within the broad interdisciplinary team allowed us to make informed decisions. These issues refer to the representation of the sky area, and the original contributions of the red lake pigments to local colors. The digitally reconstructed colors of the painting show that due to discoloring of red lake pigments, the irises in the field have changed from a warm purple to purplish blue, and many pink spots in the field have turned to white. The range of yellows in the field has decreased and partly turned to dark brown. The digital reconstruction gives a better understanding of the color scheme used by Van Gogh when compared to remarks the artist made in letters when describing this painting. Also, the original color composition is seen to be aligned with color theories on which Van Gogh based his work.     

20 Years of Schnapps in Educating Chemical‐Engineering Students

In the so‐called Branntwein AG chemical‐engineering bachelor students first produce wine from a chosen type of fruit, which is then distilled twice to arrive at schnapps as the final product. Before performing the process, the required steps are designed based on an adequate mathematical representation. Besides these engineering skills, soft skills are practiced like team work, project management, and budget planning. During meanwhile 20 Branntwein AGs this course has proven to be an excellent means to inspire chemical‐engineering students and also to promote chemical engineering to the public.     

Opportunities for Live Cell FT-Infrared Imaging: Macromolecule Identification with 2D and 3D Localization

Infrared (IR) spectromicroscopy, or chemical imaging, is an evolving technique that is poised to make significant contributions in the fields of biology and medicine. Recent developments in sources, detectors, measurement techniques and speciman holders have now made diffraction-limited Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging of cellular chemistry in living cells a reality. The availability of bright, broadband IR sources and large area, pixelated detectors facilitate live cell imaging, which requires rapid measurements using non-destructive probes. In this work, we review advances in the field of FTIR spectromicroscopy that have contributed to live-cell two and three-dimensional IR imaging, and discuss several key examples that highlight the utility of this technique for studying the structure and chemistry of living cells.     

Intensification of chemical separation engineering by nanostructured channels and nanofluidics: From theories to applications

With the development of manufacturing technology on the nanoscale, the precision of nano-devices is rapidly increasing with lower cost. Different from macroscale or microscale fluids, many specific phenomena and advantages are observed in nanofluidics. Devices and process involving and utilizing these phenomena play an important role in many fields in chemical engineering including separation, chemical analysis and transmission.In this article, we summarize the state-of-the-art progress in theoretical studies and manufacturing technologies on nanofluidics. Then we discuss practical applications of nanofluidics in many chemical engineering fields,especially in separation and encountering problems. Finally, we are looking forward to the future of nanofluidics and believe it will be more important in the separation process and the modern chemical industry.     

Judd's contributions to color metrics and evaluation of color differences

The contributions of Dr. Deane Brewster Judd to colorimetry extended over five decades. Among the most crucial contributions to the development of modern colorimetry were his studies of colorimetric purity, relations among color-mixture and luminosity data, visual sensibility to color differences, uniform chromaticity diagrams, Munsell notation and renotation, color names, color blindness and anomalies, color-vision theory, and uniform color scales.     

Sustainable development and its implications for chemical engineering

Sustainable development presents us all with the challenge of living in ways which are compatible with the long-term constraints imposed by the finite carrying capacity of the closed system which is Planet Earth. The chemical engineering approach to the management of complex systems involving material and energy flows will be essential in meeting the challenge. System-based tools for environmental management already embody chemical engineering principles, albeit applied to broader systems than those which chemical engineering conventionally covers. Clean technology is an approach to process selection, design and operation which combines conventional chemical engineering with some of these system-based environmental management tools; it represents an interesting new direction in the application of chemical engineering to develop more sustainable processes. Less conventional applications of chemical engineering lie in public sector decisions, using the approach known as post-normal science. These applications require chemical engineers to take on a significantly different role, using their professional expertise to work with people from other disciplines and with the lay public. The contribution of chemical engineering to the formation of UK energy policy provides an example of the importance of this role. Recognising the role of engineers as agents of social change implies the need for a different set of skills, which just might make the profession more attractive to potential new recruits.