Process engineering deals with the mathematical modeling and simulation of chemical processes in order to develop real-time optimization and control strategies.
Department research has increased the availability of clean energy in a smart electric power grid, and significantly improved environmental and safety protection in chemical plants. Moreover, we have the ability to create advanced electronic devices that are smaller, faster, and have increased battery life.
Our professors use innovative process systems technologies for a number of applications: utilization of intermittent energy sources like solar energy; improved production of oil and gas from petroleum reservoirs; enhanced yield of semiconductor manufacturing; advanced energy management of industrial plants and buildings; faster methods of multi-scale model simulation; use of wireless sensors in process control; nano-manufacturing process development; specialty polymer processing; and modeling and control of carbon dioxide removal from power plants.
The department is among the leading process systems engineering programs for Ph.D.’s in the United States and the lead university in the Texas-Wisconsin-California Control Consortium (TWCCC) and the Process Science and Technology Center (PSTC). These industrial consortiums allow students to contribute to projects that directly impact state-of-the-art industrial practice. TWCCC and PSTC faculty have won numerous major professional awards and have published leading textbooks in process engineering.
