Energy Operations Consultant Specializing in Coal, Biomass and Solid Waste Gasification, Hydrogen Production, Catalysis and Fuel Cell Applications (741)
Expertise
Coal and biomass gasifier design.
Gasification to produce synthesis gas for gasoline, diesel or ethanol.
Alternate processes for hydrogen generation.
Gas reforming and product separation.
Electrical power generation based on municipal waste and biomass.
Product and process development; conceptual process plant design.
Waste heat and energy recovery processes.
Crushing, grinding separation and materials handling.
Mechanical equipment design, conceptual to shop drawings (AutoCad)
Experience
Independent Consultant, 1993 %u2013 Present
US Deptartment of Energy: Hydrogen Program, Project Review Committee
Istituto della Trasformazione e Accumulo del'Energia (Messina, Italy): Process
R&D in advanced alternative energy.
US Air Force: Construction cost estimation and project needs assessment. Compressed natural gas vehicle fueling system design.
United Power Association (Electric utility, Minnesota)
Energy Research Corporation: Fuel Cells
ThermoChem: Process evaluation, Reformer/gasifier reactors and processes.
University of North Dakota, Energy and Environmental Research Center, Senior Research Engineer & Project Manager, 1982 - 1994
In charge of pilot and bench scale project to developed lab-scale simulation system to measure reaction rates and catalyst effectiveness in coal gasification processes.
Catalytic gasification to produce hydrogen from low rank coals %u2013 Laboratory and pilot plants construction and operation.
Evaluation of catalytic gasification process parameters (bituminous coals, lignite and wood) for integration with molten carbonate fuel cells.
Extension of coal technology to plantation-grown wood for slurry fuels (oil substitute).
Hydrothermal fuel slurries for boilers and diesel engines.
Experimental development of erosion-free valve concepts for high pressure slurry processes.
Development of novel super-cyclone for hot gas cleanup and hydrogen concentration.
Stearns-Roger Engineering Co., Senior Process Engineer, 1980 %u2013 1982
Plant engineering and project reporting for pilot-scale (30,000-SCFH) coal gasification project.
Dresser Ind., Advanced Technology. Center, Process Engineer, 1973 %u2013 1980
Capital equipment R&D, technology forecasting, consulting to manufacturing divisions and evaluation of inventions/acquisitions in the areas of coal and mineral beneficiation, coal gasification and liquefaction, oil shale, waste heat and energy recovery, hydrocarbon vapor emission recovery, and agricultural and forest waste reclamation.
Other Employment
Santa Fe International, Process Engineer, 1968-1973: Marine loading pipeline terminals, piping design and equipment specification.
Ralph Stone & Company: Solid waste composting R&D. Supervised sea water treatment pilot plant.
Stanford Research Institute: Pilot lab and feasibility studies of solid waste separation and reclamation focused on separation of wood chips from bark and glass recovery from municipal solid waste by multi-stage air separation.
Jacobs Engineering: Project engineering, refineries and chemical plants. Responsible for analysis of large borax plant steam system and recommendations for expansion.
Atlantic Richfield Co. R&D Center: Refinery and petrochemical process economics
Hunt Wesson Foods, R&D Dept.: Designed, built, operated and supervised pilot plant for continuous hydrogenation of vegetable oils.
Honors & Publications
More than 40 publications, such as:
"Gassificatoi Biomasses-Celle a Combustible." La Termotechnica 50(5), (Verona, Italy).
"Economic Analysis of Compressed Natural Gas for Vehicle Fueling at Grand Forks Air Force Base."
"Trace Metal Transformations in Gasification." Advanced Coal-Fired Power Systems, USDOE.
"Biomass Energy Conversion - Conventional Advanced Technologies." UN Symposium on Development and Utilization of Biomass Energy Resources in Developing Countries.
"Feasibility of Using Industrial and Urban Wastes for Electric Power by Gasification Combined with Fuel Cells or Gas Engines in the Minneapolis Area.%u201D
Education
M. S., Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley
B. S., Process Engineering, University of California, Berkeley