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Energy Technologies: BBCEE

Active projects in Biomedical, Biochemical, Chemical & Environmental Engineering (BBCEE) with applications for energy technologies:

Aerosol science and air quality engineering is concerned with fine particles which, when present in the atmosphere, are known lung irritants, contribute to visibility degradation, and affect light scattering and absorption, making them an important variable in the assessment of the atmospheric energy balance and climate change. Little is known, however, regarding the influence of particle shape, surface composition, and even size distribution on the contribution of fine particles to these areas. Work in our laboratory addresses these problems through kinetic and thermodynamic models and through fundamental studies with model compounds under controlled conditions to better understand the influence of these particles, and to devise strategies to control them. Specific current projects include studies of Hg pollutant chemistry, of fine particle reactivity, and of CO2 capture using supported amine compounds.
(Faculty contact: Helble)

Biomass processing research is focused on improved conversion technologies for plant biomass—the only foreseeable sustainable source of organic fuels, chemicals, and materials. These technologies have outstanding potential to address pressing societal challenges. A comprehensive effort in this area encompasses applied microbiology, metabolic and cellular engineering, kinetics and reactor design, process design, and resource and environmental analysis.
For more see: Chemical & Biochemical Engineering Research
(Faculty contact: Lynd)

Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is a potential breakthrough in low-cost processing of cellulosic biomass in which biological conversion is consolidated into a single process step without added cellulase enzymes. Development of CBP-enabling microorganisms can proceed either engineering cellulolytic microbes to improve product titer and yield, or engineering organisms that have high product yields and titers so that they can utilize cellulose and other biomass components. Both strategies are actively under investigation in collaboration with Mascoma Corp.
(Faculty contact: Lynd)

Decision analytic evaluation of emerging technologies will ensure that engineering developments address the wide range of interests and concerns that users have regarding modern technology. Multiattribute decision theory can be used to balance economic, environmental, cultural, political, and social objectives in developing, producing, and marketing new products. It can also help to identify novel implementation strategies that encourage productive action today while still allowing for transition periods, learning, or technology development in the future.
(Faculty contact: Borsuk)

Linking predictive climate models to economic assessments under conditions of uncertainty can lead to methodological complications that have only recently been recognized. In particular, appropriate methods and rates of discounting future benefits change under uncertainty relative to situations in which the future is assumed to be known. The appropriate discount rate may be substantially higher or lower than values commonly used, depending on the specific case and preference axioms employed. For an issue such as climate change, in which the benefits of policy decisions extend over a long time horizon, small changes in discount rates can have dramatic implications for the optimal choice of policy. Clarifying and demonstrating the ramifications of model uncertainty for linked economic analyses is a major objective of this interdisciplinary research effort.
(Faculty contact: Borsuk)

See also Representation of model inputs and parameters using stochastic, time-dependent parameters and Social and biological indicators of sustainability