Research Supervisor Connect
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
For standard chemical processes, energy efficiency can be defined by the ratio of chemical energy stored in products over the total energy supplied to the reactor. However, conventional heating methods have significant heat loss, resulting in poor energy utilization efficiency. An emerging technology is Joule-heated reactors, in which electric currents flow through the catalysts to provide thermal energy directly to reaction sites. This approach may reduce energy loss significantly. The project will explore this new approach for methane pyrolysis and other suitable endothermic chemical reactions. The relationship between reaction temperature, conversion rate, and energy efficiency will be established. Further, engineering simulation tools (such as Ansys) will be used to simulate heat and mass transfer to guide the further optimization of reaction conditions. Students with a reaction engineering background and previous experience in engineering simulation are more suitable for this project.
Successful candidate must:
How to apply:
To apply, please email yuan.chen@sydney.edu.au with the following:
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3456