10/28/2025
By Zhiyong Gu
Date: Friday, October 31
Time: 10 to 11 a.m.
Location: Ball Hall, Room 326
Abstract: Recent advances in process intensification involve developing more efficient, smaller, cleaner processes than traditional ones in the chemical industry. Improved product yield of the desired product by integrating reactions and separations into a single unit, cost and waste minimization, development of more compact and environmentally friendly production, and the use of alternative energy sources like microwave, solar energy, and direct joule heating in chemical conversions are some of the subjects of process intensification.
Examples of outperformance of microwave heating in green hydrogen production through ammonia decomposition and alcohol reforming will be discussed in this presentation. Some results of sorption-enhanced and membrane reactor studies performed in our laboratories by steam reforming of ethanol and glycerol, as well as the development of new catalysts for these processes, will be reported. Examples of some recent approaches, such as direct joule heating of the catalyst bed and electrocatalysis in hydrogen production, will also be referred.
Biography: Timur Doğu is an emeritus Professor of Chemical Engineering at Middle East Technical University (METU), Ankara, Turkey. He earned his BS, MS, and PhD degrees from METU, Stanford University, and the University of California at Davis, respectively. Timur Dogu developed most of his academic career at METU. He was promoted to full professorship in 1985. He also served as the Dean of the Faculty of Sciences of Ankara University and as the President of the Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programmes (MÜDEK) in Turkey. He also served as the chair of the Label Committee of the European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education. Timur Doğu contributed to the advancement of transport effects in catalytic reactions, environmental catalysis, multifunctional reactors, and process intensification. He is the author of over 170 scientific publications and the co-author of the recent book entitled “Fundamentals of Chemical Reactor Engineering: A Multi-scale Approach,” published by Wiley. He is a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences. The contributions of Professor Timur Doğu and Professor Gülşen Doğu to chemical reaction engineering are honored by the two special issues of the International Journal of Chemical Reactor Engineering in 2019.