Critical minerals are essential to the future of clean energy, especially energy storage, electric vehicles, and advanced electronics. In this paper, we argue that process systems engineering (PSE) paradigms provide essential frameworks for enhancing the sustainability and efficiency of critical mineral processing pathways. As a concrete example, we review challenges and opportunities across material-to-infrastructure scales for process intensification (PI) with membranes. Within critical mineral processing, there is a need to reduce environmental impact, especially concerning chemical reagent usage. Feed concentrations and product demand variability require flexible, intensified processes. Further, unique feedstocks require unique processes (i.e., no one-size-fits-all recycling or refining system exists). Membrane materials span a vast design space that allows significant optimization. Therefore, there is a need to rapidly identify the best opportunities for membrane implementation, t... [more]

To mitigate the effects of catastrophic failure while maintaining resource and production efficiencies, energy systems need to be designed for resilience and sustainability. Conventional approaches such as redundancies through backup processes or inventory stockpiles demand high capital investment and resource allocation. In addition, responding to unexpected “black swan” events requires that systems have the agility to transform and adapt rapidly. To develop targeted solutions that protect the system efficiently, the supply chain network needs to be considered as an integrated multi-scale system incorporating every component from individual process units all the way to the whole network. This approach can be readily integrated with analogous multiscale approaches for sustainability, safety, and intensification. In this work, we bring together classical supply chain resilience with process systems engineering to leverage the multi-scale nature of energy systems for developing resilienc... [more]

Increasing wind and solar electricity generation in power systems increases temporal variability in electricity prices which incentivizes the development of flexible processes for electricity generation and electricity-based fuels/chemicals production. Here, we develop a computational framework for the integrated design and optimization of multi-product processes interacting with the grid under time-varying electricity prices. Our analysis focuses on the case study of nuclear-based hydrogen (H2) and electricity generation, involving nuclear power plants (NPP) producing high temperature heat and electricity coupled with a high temperature steam electrolyzers (HTSE) for H2 production. The ability to co-produce H2 along with nuclear is widely seen as critical to improving the economics of nuclear energy technologies. To that end, our model focuses on evaluating the least-cost design and operations of the NPP-HTSE system while accounting for: a) power consumption variation with current den... [more]

The energy transition is driven both by the motivation to decarbonize as well as the decrease in cost of low carbon technology. Net-carbon neutrality over the lifetime of technology use can neither be quantitatively assessed nor realized without accounting for the flows of carbon comprehensively from cradle to grave. Sources of emission are disparate with contributions from resource procurement, process establishment and function, and material refining. The synergies between the constituent value chains are especially apparent in the mobility transition which involves (i) power generation, storage and dispatch, (ii) synthesis of polymeric materials, (iii) manufacturing of vehicles and establishment of infrastructure. Decision-making frameworks that can coordinate these aspects and provide cooperative sustainable solutions are needed. To this end, we present a multiscale modeling and optimization framework for the simultaneous resolution of the material and energy value chains. A case... [more]

Computer-aided Molecular and Process Design (CAMPD) is an equation-oriented multi-scale decision making framework for designing both materials (molecules) and processes for separation, reaction, and reactive separation whenever material choice significantly impacts process performance. The inherent nonlinearity and nonconvexity in CAMPD optimization models, introduced through the property and process models, pose challenges to state-of-the-art solvers. Recently, quantum computing (QC) has shown promise for solving complex optimization problems, especially those involving discrete decisions. This motivates us to explore the potential usage of quantum optimization techniques for solving CAMPD problems. We have developed a technique for directly solving a class of mixed integer nonlinear programs using QC. Our approach represents both continuous and integer design decisions by a set of binary variables through encoding schemes. This transformation allows to reformulate certain types of CA... [more]

This paper discusses the symbiotic relationship between technology research and development (R&D) and energy transition modeling. On the one hand, energy system modeling has a noteworthy history of providing macroscopic views and critical insights concerning the role that myriad technologies may play in the future energy system. On the other hand, R&D can lead to both incremental and disruptive technological advances that can shape energy transition planning. In this work, we focus on the bidirectional flow of information between the two with a particular focus on highlighting the potential role of carbon capture, storage, and sequestration technology.

Sustainability encompasses many wicked problems involving complex interdependencies across social, natural, and engineered systems. We argue holistic multiscale modeling and decision-support frameworks are needed to address multifaceted interdisciplinary aspects of these wicked problems. This review highlights three emerging research areas for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in molecular-to-systems engineering for sustainability: (1) molecular discovery and materials design, (2) automation and self-driving laboratories, (3) process and systems-of-systems optimization. Recent advances in AI and ML are highlighted in four contemporary application areas in chemical engineering design: (1) equitable energy systems, (2) decarbonizing the power sector, (3) circular economies for critical materials, and (4) next-generation heating and cooling. These examples illustrate how AI and ML enable more sophisticated interdisciplinary multiscale models, faster optimization algor... [more]

The production of hydrogen-based dense energy carriers (DECs) has been proposed as a combined solution for the storage and dispatch of power generated through intermittent renewables. Frameworks that model and optimize the production, storage, and dispatch of generated energy are important for data-driven decision making in the energy systems space. The proposed multiperiod framework considers the evolution of technology costs under different levels of promotion through research and targeted policies, using the year 2021 as a baseline. Furthermore, carbon credits are included as proposed by the 45Q tax amendment for the capture, sequestration, and utilization of carbon. The implementation of the mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) framework is illustrated through computational case studies to meet set hydrogen demands. The trade-offs between different technology pathways and contributions to system expenditure are elucidated, and promising configurations and technology niches are i... [more]

The growing demand for various types of paper highlights the importance of optimizing the kraft pulping process to achieve desired paper properties. This work proposes a novel multiscale model to optimize the kraft pulping process and obtain desired paper properties. The model combines mass and energy balance equations with a layered kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) algorithm to predict the degradation of wood chips, the depolymerization of cellulose, and the spatio-temporal evolution of the Kappa number and cellulose degree of polymerization (DP). A surrogate LSTM-ANN model is trained on data generated from the multiscale model under different operating conditions, dealing with both time-varying and time-invariant inputs, and an LSTM-ANN-based model predictive controller is designed to achieve desired set-point values of the Kappa number and cellulose DP while considering process constraints. The results show that the LSTM-ANN-based controller is able to drive the process to desired set-poin... [more]

Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs) can work efficiently in reversible operation, allowing the energy storage as hydrogen in power to gas application and providing requested electricity in gas to power application. They can easily switch from fuel cell to electrolyzer mode in order to guarantee the production of electricity, heat or directly hydrogen as fuel depending on energy demand and utilization. The proposed modeling is able to calculate effectively SOC performance in both operating modes, basing on the same electrochemical equations and system parameters, just setting the current density direction. The identified kinetic core is implemented in different simulation tools as a function of the scale under study. When the analysis mainly focuses on the kinetics affecting the global performance of small-sized single cells, a 0D code written in Fortran and then executed in Aspen Plus is used. When larger-scale single or stacked cells are considered and local maps of the main physicochemical prop... [more]

Molecular dynamics simulations (MDs) are carried out for predicting platinum Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell nanocatalyst growth on a model carbon electrode. The aim is to provide a one-shot simulation of the entire multistep process of deposition in the context of plasma sputtering, from sputtering of the target catalyst/transport to the electrode substrate/deposition on the porous electrode. The plasma processing reactor is reduced to nanoscale dimensions for tractable MDs using scale reduction of the plasma phase and requesting identical collision numbers in experiments and the simulation box. The present simulations reproduce the role of plasma pressure for the plasma phase growth of nanocatalysts (here, platinum).

As global power generation is currently relying on fossil fuel-based power plants, more anthropogenic CO2 is being released into the atmosphere. During the transition period to alternative energy sources, carbon capture and storage seems to be a promising solution. Chemical-looping combustion (CLC) is an energy conversion technology designed for combustion of fossil fuel with advantageous carbon capture capabilities. In this work, a 1D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) multiscale model was developed to study the reduction step in a syngas-based CLC system and was validated using literature data (R=0.99). In order to investigate mass transfer effects, flow rate and particle dimension studies were carried out. Sharper mass transfer rates were seen at lower flow rates and smaller granule sizes due to suppression of diffusion limitations. In addition, a 3D CFD particle model was developed to investigate in depth the reduction within an ilmenite particle, with focus on heat transfer effect... [more]

The composite electrode structure plays an important role in the optimization of performance of the intermediate-temperature solid oxide electrolysis cell (IT-SOEC). However, the structural influence of the composite electrode on the performance of IT-SOEC is not clear. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional macroscale model coupled with the mesoscale model based on percolation theory. We describe the electrode structure on a mesoscopic scale, looking at the electrochemical reactions, flow, and mass transport inside an IT-SOEC unit with a composite electrode. The accuracy of this multi-scale model was verified by two groups of experimental data. We investigated the effects of operating pressure, volume fraction of the electrode phase, and particle diameter in the composite electrode on electrolysis reaction rate, overpotential, convection/diffusion flux, and hydrogen mole fraction. The results showed that the variation in the volume fraction of the electrode phase had opposite... [more]

Irradiation-induced swelling plays a key role in determining fuel performance. Due to their high cost and time demands, experimental research methods are ineffective. Knowledge-based multiscale simulations are also constrained by the loss of trustworthy theoretical underpinnings. This work presents a new trial of integrating knowledge-based finite element analysis (FEA) with a data-driven deep learning framework, to predict the hydrostatic-pressure−temperature dependent fission swelling behavior within a CERCER composite fuel. We employed the long short-term memory (LSTM) deep learning network to mimic the history-dependent behaviors. Training of the LSTM is achieved by processing the sequential order of the inputs to do the forecasting; the input features are fission rate, fission density, temperature, and hydrostatic pressure. We performed the model training based on a leveraged dataset of 8000 combinations of a wide range of input states and state evaluations that were generated by... [more]

The production of catalysts such as zeolites is a complex multiscale and multi-step process. Various material properties, such as particle size or moisture content, as well as operating parameters—e.g., temperature or amount and composition of input material flows—significantly affect the outcome of each process step, and hence determine the properties of the final product. Therefore, the design and optimization of such processes is a complex task, which can be greatly facilitated with the help of numerical simulations. This contribution presents a modeling framework for the dynamic flowsheet simulation of a zeolite production sequence consisting of four stages: precipitation in a batch reactor; concentration and washing in a block of centrifuges; formation of droplets and drying in a spray dryer; and burning organic residues in a chain of rotary kilns. Various techniques and methods were used to develop the applied models. For the synthesis in the reactor, a multistage strategy was us... [more]