University of Melbourne

Current Research Activities

Paul has worked in development and management of clean energy technologies, especially carbon capture for the past 15 years in industry and academia. His principal research interest is clean energy technologies particularly gas separation, energy storage, and applications of thermodynamics to improve process efficiency. He works in the following fields:

CO 2 capture from flue gas and process streams

Natural gas and coal seam gas purification and CO 2, N 2 removal

O 2/N 2/Ar separation

Synthesis gas separation and hydrogen purification

Biogas purification

Hydrogen and methane storage

In the energy area, his interests include:

Applications of exergy analysis to improve energy generation and process industries including CO 2 capture technologies

Use of irreversible thermodynamics to understand non-linear transport phenomena in energy production

Development of novel catalysts for CO 2 utilization technologies including DME synthesis

Solar thermal energy conversion and thermal energy storage materials 

2012-present: Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - The University of Melbourne 

2008-2011: Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

2003-2007: Reader, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

1996- 2003: Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

1992-1996: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Allentown, Pennsylvania, senior process research and development engineer

1990-1992: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Assistant Professor and Director, MIT School of Chemical Engineering Practice

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Dr. Conchi Ania is Research Scientist of CSIC (Spanish Council for Scientific Research) in Oviedo (Spain) and Research Director of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in Orléans (France). She received her PhD degree in Chemistry by Univ. of Oviedo (Spain) in 2003. After 3 years postdoctoral stays in France and USA, in 2007 she incorporated at CSIC (2009-2017 Tenured Scientist, 2018 Research Scientist). In 2017 she also joined CNRS as Research Director.

In 2008 she got the L'Oreal-Unesco Fellowship Award in the Programme "For women in Science" (Spain) and the Excellence Scientific Research Award by Univ. Granada (Spain). In 2016 she got an ERC-Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council, funded with 2M€ to develop research activities towards "Integrating photochemistry in nanoconfined carbon-based porous materials in technological processes".

She has a long-standing interest and a widely recognized experience on research activities related to nanoporous materials with tailored surface chemistry and architectures as structural and functional solids for high-tech applications, covering energy storage and environmental protection. Current research interests focus on the use of carbon materials as catalysts, adsorbents and electrodes, and particularly on photochemistry of carbon materials in various fields (synthesis, catalysis, sensing, electrochemistry).

As for scientific contributions, she has a large experience on coordinating (20) and participating (14) in R&D projects and industrial contracts (10). She has authored 7 book chapters, supervised 6 PhD thesis, published over 130 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals with over 3500 citations and an H-index of 34. She is also coinventor of a patent filed for 2 years by SIAD (Italy), on the preparation of porous materials for the separation of gases of strategic impact.

Missouri University of Science & Technology

RESEARCH AREAS

Adsorption, Energy Efficient Separation Processes, Process Design, Modeling and Optimization

RESEARCH STATEMENT

Our research focus broadly lies at the interface of chemical, materials science and environmental engineering, where the general goal of our work is to develop advanced materials and processes for clean energy and sustainable chemical processes. In particular, our research relates to fundamental and applied aspects of adsorption, separations, purification and reaction. The research activities include: 1) structured adsorbents in gas separation processes; 2) modeling and simulation of cyclic separation processes such as PSA, TSA, VSA; 3) development of hybrid materials for separation, purification and reaction applications; 4) liquid phase adsorptive separation and purification.

Examples of current projects include: 1) monolithic adsorbents for CO2 capture, 2) adsorptive separation of light hydrocarbons, 3) advanced technologies for sour gas removal (SOx, NOx, H2S), 4) development of in-situ separation-reaction processes.

AWARDS AND HONORS

International Adsorption Society Award for Excellence in the PhD  Dissertation, USA, 2013

Best Poster Award at Fundamentals of Adsorption Conference (FOA11), USA, 2013                  

Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS), Australia, 2008  

Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (MIPRS), Australia, 2008

Special Award in World Exhibition on Innovation, Research and New Technologies, Belgium, 2007

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

F. Rezaei, S. Swernath, J. Kalyanamaran, R. P. Lively, Y. Kawajiri, and M. J. Realff, “Modeling of Rapid Temperature Swing Adsorption Using Hollow Fiber Sorbents”, Chemical Engineering Science 113, 62–76 (2014).

F. Rezaei and C. W. Jones, "Stability of Supported Amine Adsorbents to SO2 and NOx in Post-combustion CO2 Capture Process. 2. Multi-component Adsorption", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 53, 12103–12110 (2014).

F. Rezaei and C. W. Jones, "Stability of Supported Amine Adsorbents to SO2 and NOx in Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Process. 1. Single-component Adsorption", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 52, 12192–12201 (2013).

F. Rezaei, R. P. Lively, Y. Labreche, G. Chen, W.J . Koros, and C. W. Jones “Aminosilica Hollow Fiber Adsorbents for CO2 Capture from Flue Gas”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 5, 3921–3931 (2013).

F. Rezaei and P. Webley, “Optimal Design of Engineered Gas Adsorbents: Pore-scale Level”, Chemical Engineering Science 69, 270–278 (2012).

University of Edinburgh

My group specializes in molecular simulation in application to chemical engineering problems, material science and bimolecular systems. Over the last 50 years, since the first Monte Carlo simulations by Metropolis and co-workers, molecular simulations have been playing an increasingly important role in a range of research areas, from thermodynamic properties of matter to material design and drug discovery. There are several reasons for this. Simulations often provide an efficient alternative to experiments when conditions of interest are difficult or expensive to achieve (such as extreme pressures and temperatures); moreover, we can consider a much larger number of systems and conditions, thus significantly reducing the optimization cycle. Using computer one can imagine unphysical, chimerical systems, properties of which nevertheless may provide an important thermodynamic insight. This "what if?" approach has been particularly useful in proposing new materials and structures for specific applications. Most importantly, molecular simulations provide a unique look at the system on a detailed molecular scale, thus underpinning physical effects responsible for its behaviour.

University of Melbourne

Current Research Activities

Paul has worked in development and management of clean energy technologies, especially carbon capture for the past 15 years in industry and academia. His principal research interest is clean energy technologies particularly gas separation, energy storage, and applications of thermodynamics to improve process efficiency. He works in the following fields:

CO 2 capture from flue gas and process streams

Natural gas and coal seam gas purification and CO 2, N 2 removal

O 2/N 2/Ar separation

Synthesis gas separation and hydrogen purification

Biogas purification

Hydrogen and methane storage

In the energy area, his interests include:

Applications of exergy analysis to improve energy generation and process industries including CO 2 capture technologies

Use of irreversible thermodynamics to understand non-linear transport phenomena in energy production

Development of novel catalysts for CO 2 utilization technologies including DME synthesis

Solar thermal energy conversion and thermal energy storage materials 

2012-present: Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - The University of Melbourne 

2008-2011: Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

2003-2007: Reader, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

1996- 2003: Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

1992-1996: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Allentown, Pennsylvania, senior process research and development engineer

1990-1992: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Assistant Professor and Director, MIT School of Chemical Engineering Practice

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Dr. Conchi Ania is Research Scientist of CSIC (Spanish Council for Scientific Research) in Oviedo (Spain) and Research Director of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in Orléans (France). She received her PhD degree in Chemistry by Univ. of Oviedo (Spain) in 2003. After 3 years postdoctoral stays in France and USA, in 2007 she incorporated at CSIC (2009-2017 Tenured Scientist, 2018 Research Scientist). In 2017 she also joined CNRS as Research Director.

In 2008 she got the L'Oreal-Unesco Fellowship Award in the Programme "For women in Science" (Spain) and the Excellence Scientific Research Award by Univ. Granada (Spain). In 2016 she got an ERC-Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council, funded with 2M€ to develop research activities towards "Integrating photochemistry in nanoconfined carbon-based porous materials in technological processes".

She has a long-standing interest and a widely recognized experience on research activities related to nanoporous materials with tailored surface chemistry and architectures as structural and functional solids for high-tech applications, covering energy storage and environmental protection. Current research interests focus on the use of carbon materials as catalysts, adsorbents and electrodes, and particularly on photochemistry of carbon materials in various fields (synthesis, catalysis, sensing, electrochemistry).

As for scientific contributions, she has a large experience on coordinating (20) and participating (14) in R&D projects and industrial contracts (10). She has authored 7 book chapters, supervised 6 PhD thesis, published over 130 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals with over 3500 citations and an H-index of 34. She is also coinventor of a patent filed for 2 years by SIAD (Italy), on the preparation of porous materials for the separation of gases of strategic impact.

Missouri University of Science & Technology

RESEARCH AREAS

Adsorption, Energy Efficient Separation Processes, Process Design, Modeling and Optimization

RESEARCH STATEMENT

Our research focus broadly lies at the interface of chemical, materials science and environmental engineering, where the general goal of our work is to develop advanced materials and processes for clean energy and sustainable chemical processes. In particular, our research relates to fundamental and applied aspects of adsorption, separations, purification and reaction. The research activities include: 1) structured adsorbents in gas separation processes; 2) modeling and simulation of cyclic separation processes such as PSA, TSA, VSA; 3) development of hybrid materials for separation, purification and reaction applications; 4) liquid phase adsorptive separation and purification.

Examples of current projects include: 1) monolithic adsorbents for CO2 capture, 2) adsorptive separation of light hydrocarbons, 3) advanced technologies for sour gas removal (SOx, NOx, H2S), 4) development of in-situ separation-reaction processes.

AWARDS AND HONORS

International Adsorption Society Award for Excellence in the PhD  Dissertation, USA, 2013

Best Poster Award at Fundamentals of Adsorption Conference (FOA11), USA, 2013                  

Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS), Australia, 2008  

Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (MIPRS), Australia, 2008

Special Award in World Exhibition on Innovation, Research and New Technologies, Belgium, 2007

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

F. Rezaei, S. Swernath, J. Kalyanamaran, R. P. Lively, Y. Kawajiri, and M. J. Realff, “Modeling of Rapid Temperature Swing Adsorption Using Hollow Fiber Sorbents”, Chemical Engineering Science 113, 62–76 (2014).

F. Rezaei and C. W. Jones, "Stability of Supported Amine Adsorbents to SO2 and NOx in Post-combustion CO2 Capture Process. 2. Multi-component Adsorption", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 53, 12103–12110 (2014).

F. Rezaei and C. W. Jones, "Stability of Supported Amine Adsorbents to SO2 and NOx in Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Process. 1. Single-component Adsorption", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 52, 12192–12201 (2013).

F. Rezaei, R. P. Lively, Y. Labreche, G. Chen, W.J . Koros, and C. W. Jones “Aminosilica Hollow Fiber Adsorbents for CO2 Capture from Flue Gas”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 5, 3921–3931 (2013).

F. Rezaei and P. Webley, “Optimal Design of Engineered Gas Adsorbents: Pore-scale Level”, Chemical Engineering Science 69, 270–278 (2012).

University of Edinburgh

My group specializes in molecular simulation in application to chemical engineering problems, material science and bimolecular systems. Over the last 50 years, since the first Monte Carlo simulations by Metropolis and co-workers, molecular simulations have been playing an increasingly important role in a range of research areas, from thermodynamic properties of matter to material design and drug discovery. There are several reasons for this. Simulations often provide an efficient alternative to experiments when conditions of interest are difficult or expensive to achieve (such as extreme pressures and temperatures); moreover, we can consider a much larger number of systems and conditions, thus significantly reducing the optimization cycle. Using computer one can imagine unphysical, chimerical systems, properties of which nevertheless may provide an important thermodynamic insight. This "what if?" approach has been particularly useful in proposing new materials and structures for specific applications. Most importantly, molecular simulations provide a unique look at the system on a detailed molecular scale, thus underpinning physical effects responsible for its behaviour.

University of Melbourne

Current Research Activities

Paul has worked in development and management of clean energy technologies, especially carbon capture for the past 15 years in industry and academia. His principal research interest is clean energy technologies particularly gas separation, energy storage, and applications of thermodynamics to improve process efficiency. He works in the following fields:

CO 2 capture from flue gas and process streams

Natural gas and coal seam gas purification and CO 2, N 2 removal

O 2/N 2/Ar separation

Synthesis gas separation and hydrogen purification

Biogas purification

Hydrogen and methane storage

In the energy area, his interests include:

Applications of exergy analysis to improve energy generation and process industries including CO 2 capture technologies

Use of irreversible thermodynamics to understand non-linear transport phenomena in energy production

Development of novel catalysts for CO 2 utilization technologies including DME synthesis

Solar thermal energy conversion and thermal energy storage materials 

2012-present: Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering - The University of Melbourne 

2008-2011: Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

2003-2007: Reader, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

1996- 2003: Senior Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Monash University

1992-1996: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Allentown, Pennsylvania, senior process research and development engineer

1990-1992: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Assistant Professor and Director, MIT School of Chemical Engineering Practice

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

Dr. Conchi Ania is Research Scientist of CSIC (Spanish Council for Scientific Research) in Oviedo (Spain) and Research Director of CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in Orléans (France). She received her PhD degree in Chemistry by Univ. of Oviedo (Spain) in 2003. After 3 years postdoctoral stays in France and USA, in 2007 she incorporated at CSIC (2009-2017 Tenured Scientist, 2018 Research Scientist). In 2017 she also joined CNRS as Research Director.

In 2008 she got the L'Oreal-Unesco Fellowship Award in the Programme "For women in Science" (Spain) and the Excellence Scientific Research Award by Univ. Granada (Spain). In 2016 she got an ERC-Consolidator Grant by the European Research Council, funded with 2M€ to develop research activities towards "Integrating photochemistry in nanoconfined carbon-based porous materials in technological processes".

She has a long-standing interest and a widely recognized experience on research activities related to nanoporous materials with tailored surface chemistry and architectures as structural and functional solids for high-tech applications, covering energy storage and environmental protection. Current research interests focus on the use of carbon materials as catalysts, adsorbents and electrodes, and particularly on photochemistry of carbon materials in various fields (synthesis, catalysis, sensing, electrochemistry).

As for scientific contributions, she has a large experience on coordinating (20) and participating (14) in R&D projects and industrial contracts (10). She has authored 7 book chapters, supervised 6 PhD thesis, published over 130 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals with over 3500 citations and an H-index of 34. She is also coinventor of a patent filed for 2 years by SIAD (Italy), on the preparation of porous materials for the separation of gases of strategic impact.

Missouri University of Science & Technology

RESEARCH AREAS

Adsorption, Energy Efficient Separation Processes, Process Design, Modeling and Optimization

RESEARCH STATEMENT

Our research focus broadly lies at the interface of chemical, materials science and environmental engineering, where the general goal of our work is to develop advanced materials and processes for clean energy and sustainable chemical processes. In particular, our research relates to fundamental and applied aspects of adsorption, separations, purification and reaction. The research activities include: 1) structured adsorbents in gas separation processes; 2) modeling and simulation of cyclic separation processes such as PSA, TSA, VSA; 3) development of hybrid materials for separation, purification and reaction applications; 4) liquid phase adsorptive separation and purification.

Examples of current projects include: 1) monolithic adsorbents for CO2 capture, 2) adsorptive separation of light hydrocarbons, 3) advanced technologies for sour gas removal (SOx, NOx, H2S), 4) development of in-situ separation-reaction processes.

AWARDS AND HONORS

International Adsorption Society Award for Excellence in the PhD  Dissertation, USA, 2013

Best Poster Award at Fundamentals of Adsorption Conference (FOA11), USA, 2013                  

Monash Graduate Scholarship (MGS), Australia, 2008  

Monash International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (MIPRS), Australia, 2008

Special Award in World Exhibition on Innovation, Research and New Technologies, Belgium, 2007

REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS

F. Rezaei, S. Swernath, J. Kalyanamaran, R. P. Lively, Y. Kawajiri, and M. J. Realff, “Modeling of Rapid Temperature Swing Adsorption Using Hollow Fiber Sorbents”, Chemical Engineering Science 113, 62–76 (2014).

F. Rezaei and C. W. Jones, "Stability of Supported Amine Adsorbents to SO2 and NOx in Post-combustion CO2 Capture Process. 2. Multi-component Adsorption", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 53, 12103–12110 (2014).

F. Rezaei and C. W. Jones, "Stability of Supported Amine Adsorbents to SO2 and NOx in Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Process. 1. Single-component Adsorption", Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 52, 12192–12201 (2013).

F. Rezaei, R. P. Lively, Y. Labreche, G. Chen, W.J . Koros, and C. W. Jones “Aminosilica Hollow Fiber Adsorbents for CO2 Capture from Flue Gas”, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 5, 3921–3931 (2013).

F. Rezaei and P. Webley, “Optimal Design of Engineered Gas Adsorbents: Pore-scale Level”, Chemical Engineering Science 69, 270–278 (2012).

University of Edinburgh

My group specializes in molecular simulation in application to chemical engineering problems, material science and bimolecular systems. Over the last 50 years, since the first Monte Carlo simulations by Metropolis and co-workers, molecular simulations have been playing an increasingly important role in a range of research areas, from thermodynamic properties of matter to material design and drug discovery. There are several reasons for this. Simulations often provide an efficient alternative to experiments when conditions of interest are difficult or expensive to achieve (such as extreme pressures and temperatures); moreover, we can consider a much larger number of systems and conditions, thus significantly reducing the optimization cycle. Using computer one can imagine unphysical, chimerical systems, properties of which nevertheless may provide an important thermodynamic insight. This "what if?" approach has been particularly useful in proposing new materials and structures for specific applications. Most importantly, molecular simulations provide a unique look at the system on a detailed molecular scale, thus underpinning physical effects responsible for its behaviour.