Energy and Enviornment:Research Oppurtunities and Challenges for Chemical Engineers

University Of New Hampshire, Durham NH

Investigators

Abstract

Proposal Number: CBET: 0743997 Principal Investigator: Virendra Mathur University: University of New Hampshire Title: Group Travel: Workshop on Energy and Environment: Research Opportunities and Challenges for Chemical Engineers (Tianjin University, Tianjin, China , August 1, 2007 July 31, 2009 ) A group travel grant enabling a research workshop between USA and Chinese chemical engineers is proposed on the overarching topics of fundamentals of transport, environment, and energy processes as related to science, technology and sustainability. The phenomena of interfacial processes, thermodynamics, mass transfer, separations, catalysis, combustion, and particle mechanics, energy and environmental sustainability are the main focus of the workshop approaches. This is a proposal for a group travel grant for participants to attend this workshop at Tianjin University, Tianjin, China. The proposal also includes post workshop follow-up visits by a few specially selected US participants to visit the research laboratories of the Chinese faculty to establish in depth scientific interaction. Approximately, 15 USA participants will attend the workshop on August 20-22, 2007 in Tianjin, China. Approximately, three USA participants will be supported for follow up visits to Chinese universities to help develop collaborative research projects. The main objective of this workshop, to be held at Tianjin University, Tianjin China, is to have an exchange of scientific information and a dialogue between the American and Chinese university faculty members on recent advances mainly in the above mentioned areas of fundamental research. Another goal is also to help initiate long term research collaboration between the faculty members particularly junior and minority faculty of these two countries for a sustained interaction and relationship. This effort of exploring fundamental new concepts that might lead to long term solutions to the global energy and pollution challenges is to continue even after the workshop is over. This joint workshop will provide a platform to achieve these objectives of information exchange and faculty collaboration that may also have a focus on these critical problems across the world. Intellectual Merit The workshop would cover a variety of topics relevant to fundamentals of transport, environment, and energy processes. These include interfacial processes, thermodynamics, mass transfer, separations, catalysis, combustion and particle mechanics, energy and environmental sustainability. Researchers in these areas will be invited. Broader Impact The major impact of this workshop would be to sustain our endeavor towards collaborative R&D effort between faculty members of the USA and China to undertake fundamental research that was started by the last two workshops, towards achieving pollution prevention and control in industries involved in energy conversion and chemical production. For example, new joint discoveries in the field of carbon dioxide sequestration and fuel cells for vehicular transportation could limit global warming faced by both nations as well as the entire World. In addition, a visit by the American faculty to a Chinese university campus will be mutually informative and helpful in understanding their system of teaching, R & D process and way of life.