Process Systems Engineering Approaches for Sustainability Analysis of Low-Grade Waste Heat in Industry
Debalina Sengupta
Coastal Resilience Program Director
Texas A&M University
ABSTRACT
Chemical Engineering, specifically the domain of Process Systems Engineering, has unique opportunities at the core of manufacturing that contribute towards human civilizations. Over the past 50 years, it has been realized that scientific and technological advances are intricately connected with societal and/or ecological needs and demands. A deeper connectivity between these three broadly classified areas (technology, ecology and society) is crucial for sustainability of the linked systems. Dr. Sengupta’s research focuses on sustainability in the context of Process Systems Engineering. In this talk, she will discuss how advanced process analytical methods are required to analyze the future of energy systems and the need to integrate these methodologies in the analysis of future projects enabling energy transition.
This topic will cover systems analysis topics including technoeconomic analysis, life cycle assessment, and optimization methods. Starting with an overall perspective of energy systems, the discussion will identify the opportunities for waste heat sources, and briefly cover the technologies currently in use for recovery. Then the talk will focus on an industrial case study, with systematic progression for design and analysis, including the techno-economic analysis using the sustainability weighted return on investment metric for analyzing the feasibility of a decision. She will also identify research and education gaps for the future engineering workforce.