Research Motivation
Engineering applies scientific understanding and
mathematical principles to meet practical needs, and is
commonly expected to enhance human well-being. For
such expectations to be met, engineered products and
processes should not only be economically viable, but also
be environmentally sustainable. This realization is
encouraging forward-looking businesses, governments and
individuals to work towards enhancing the environmental
sustainability of their activities. Many businesses
are discovering that such efforts can provide a competitive
advantage, encourage innovation, and enhance enterprise
resilience, all of which can translate into significant
economic benefits.
The traditional focus of process systems engineering (PSE) has been on the design and operation of individual equipment and processes. In recent years, systems at larger scales such as supply chains and the business enterprise, and at smaller scales such as molecular and atomic systems, have become part of PSE research (Westerberg and Grossmann, 2000). In our view, the quest for sustainability requires further expansion of the PSE boundary to consider the value chain, economy, and ecological systems in decision making. This introduces many new challenges and motivates our research.
Research Goals and Typical Projects
Our research aims to develop and apply scientifically sound
and theoretically rigorous methods, tools and techniques for
improving the efficiency and sustaina
bility of engineered
products and processes. We focus on problems at and
across different temporal and spatial scales, ranging from
individual equipment and processes to the economy and
ecosystems, as depicted in the figure.
Projects with a narrowly defined boundary mainly emphasize
economic viability and are relevant to tactical decision
making, while those at coarser scales also focus on broader
impacts on the economy and the environment, and are relevant
to strategic decision making (Bakshi
and Fiksel, 2003).
- Designing networks of technological systems and
supporting ecosystem services
- Accounting for the role of ecosystem services in the life cycle of economic activities
- Thermodynamics and sustainability
- Life cycle evaluation of emerging technologies (nanotechnology, fuels, etc.)
- Statistical framework for life cycle assessment
- Bayesian rectification and estimation in nonlinear dynamic systems
- Linear and nonlinear empirical modeling
- Process monitoring
Most projects are multidisciplinary in nature and utilize methods from fields such as, Statistics, Operations Research, Thermodynamics, Systems Ecology, and Economics. Most projects are affiliated with the Center for Resilience at OSU. This web site provides more details about specific projects, publications, group members and other related activities.