John Thornton Bell

Research Activities

STATEMENT OF RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Modern computing capabilities are increasing at an astounding rate. My research interests lie in applying these ever expanding capabilities to chemical engineering, through simulation, modeling, optimization, and most recently, virtual reality. Applications of interest include, but are not limited to, process design and education.

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES:

My research efforts have centered around computer simulation and modeling, from thermodynamic hyper-surfaces, to rigorous multi-component distillation units, to the global petrochemical industry. This work has involved linear and non-linear optimization, network programming, game theory, sequential modular simulator development, and other techniques. Recent work has involved the development of virtual reality based computer modules for undergraduate chemical engineering education. Future plans are to apply the techniques developed for these modules to practical engineering applications.

MAJOR PROJECTS:

Virtual Reality Based Educational Modules, in progress under a grant from NSF. These modules will help to educate future engineers by presenting information and experiences in ways never before possible. Simultaneously the capabilities and applicabilities of virtual reality are being investigated, for latter application to practical engineering situations. Specific educational areas being developed include chemical reaction engineering, safety analysis, thermodynamic relationships, and fluid flow phenomena.

Modeling of the Global Petrochemical Industry, Ph.D. Thesis. This extremely large scale optimization problem involved 302 chemical production processes operating in 130 countries utilizing 325 different inter-related chemicals. The mathematical model included over 20,000 variables and 10,000 constraints. Mathematical methods investigated included linear programming, successive quadratic programming, parallel processing, network programming, and games theory.

A Computational Representation of Thermodynamic Surfaces for Use in Process Flowsheet Calculations, M.S. Thesis. This project involved the rapid estimation of thermodynamic properties in multi-dimensional hyperspace for use in process flowsheet calculations, with the added constraint that all derivatives of the estimation functions be continuous across adjacent estimation region boundaries.

Development of a Rigorous Distillation Module, DEA Project. A rigorous distillation simulation module was developed for the simultaneous modular process flowsheet simulator PROSIM. This model incorporates full mass and energy balances and thermodynamic equilibrium relationships for each tray of the distillation tower, with feeds and takeoffs on any tray. Solution methods incorporate sparse matrix techniques.

Modeling of the Production of Lactic Acid from Whey, consulting with Shanahan Valley Associates. This model was used to aid in the development of lactic acid production facilities in central Wisconsin, utilizing excess whey byproducts from the dairy industry.