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UCLA CHEMICAL ENGINEERING |
VASILIOS MANOUSIOUTHAKIS RESEARCH Our research focuses on the development and application of novel systems engineering methodologies. The whole gamut of process modeling, design, optimization and control is spanned, with particular emphasis on the following: Detailed, first principle based, models for weakly ionized plasma reactors, used in microelectronic material manufacturing, are developed. Their numerical solutions are pursued through novel finite difference schemes. Research in the area of process design focuses on the development of a systematic methodology for the synthesis of process networks. Resource integration is at the heart of this design methodology, which culminates with the Infinite DimEnsionAl State-space (IDEAS) optimization framework. This framework guarantees consideration of all alternative network designs and global optimality of the obtained solutions. Results have been obtained for the synthesis of energy efficient distillation networks; mass exchange networks with single and multi component targets; membrane networks; reactor networks and power generation cycles. The aforementioned network synthesis methodologies are combined with synthesis methods at the molecular and unit-operation levels to yield a powerful approach to “green manufacturing”. The synthesis of closed chemical reaction clusters for an overall infeasible reaction is one example of “green manufacturing” driven research at the molecular level. Algorithms for the global solution of nonconvex nonlinear programming problems are pursued, which employ transformation, convex underestimation and interval analysis techniques. Solution of infinite dimensional optimization problems is also pursued using finite dimensional approximations that are shown to converge to the infinite dimensional problems’ optima. Research in process control involves studies on the dynamic behavior and control of linear and nonlinear systems using algebra, topology, functional analysis, differential geometry and optimization theories. Issues addressed are: integration of design and control, control structure selection (measurements, manipulated variables and their interconnections), controller integrity, nonlinear, optimal, constrained, decentralized and robust control. Applications: hear exchanger and distillation networks, plasma etching, batch processing and plant-wide control.
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