Fernando Lima

This presentation will focus on the development of a process systems framework to enable the design and operations of modular energy systems. Specifically, a novel operability-based approach for process design and intensification of nonlinear energy processes will be introduced toward facilitating the realization of the concept of modular manufacturing. The developed operability methods are based on nonlinear optimization and computational geometry concepts and explore the nonlinear process mapping relationships between key input/design and output variables. To address the dimensionality challenge that may arise due to process complexity, the incorporation of bilevel and parallel programming approaches as well as machine learning-based methods into the classical process operability concepts will be discussed.

For the operation of modular systems under uncertainties, the interface between the design and control tasks is analyzed. In particular, a dynamic operability mapping is developed to find a feasible region for advanced control applications. To perform the operability mapping computations, Opyrability, a Python-based open-source software package, is introduced. This package opens an avenue for collaborations between process systems engineering researchers and others in communities that would benefit from direct/inverse mapping calculations, such as in computational catalysis and materials science. The implementation of the framework to address modular system candidates will be presented, including a catalytic membrane reactor for direct methane aromatization and a cyber-physical power system part of the HYbrid PERformance (HYPER) project at National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).

Dr. Fernando V. Lima joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at West Virginia University (WVU) in 2013. He has been promoted to Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering in 2024. Dr. Lima is also Adjunct Faculty in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He received his B.S. degree from the University of São Paulo and his Ph.D. from Tufts University, both in Chemical Engineering. Upon completion of his Ph.D., he was a Research Associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Minnesota.

His research interests are in the areas of process systems engineering, energy, and sustainability, including process design and intensification, advanced control and dynamic optimization, modular energy systems, and techno-economic and life cycle analyses. Among his awards are the Faculty Early Career Development Program Award from National Science Foundation (NSF-CAREER), the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF) Doctoral New Investigator (DNI) Award, and the WVU Statler College of Engineering Excellence in Research Awards (2). He is currently serving as 2023-2025 Director of the Computing and Systems Technology (CAST) Division of AIChE. Dr. Lima is a member of the Editorial Board of Journal of Process Control and is one of the Conference Chairs for FOCAPO/CPC 2027.

• Time: 11:00 AM
• Location: 206 Furnas Hall