The ongoing biomimesis of process engineering

Edward F LeonardColumbia University

in the City of New Yor,k

The growth of American chemical engineering in the 20th century includedGreat growth in systems approaches to process engineering and process control.Large expansion of chemical engineering approaches to the understanding of biological processes, industrial and medical.

The largest single growth component in the American industrial and service economies of the 20th century was health care.

Sten Jørgensen contributed importantly to both of these.

The largest single growth component in the American industrial and service economies of the 21st century is likely to address energy and environmental concerns

Can the activities of chemical engineers in process engineering and control and in the analysis and control of biological processes interact to address these new targets?

Energy:Far greater recognition of energy storage and conservation of free energy.Development of CO2 neutral or CO2 negative energy flowsCentralized production of high energy compounds coupled to localized energy transduction and entropy generation.

What are these targets (I)?

Environmental:Minimization of chemical plant footprint.

SafetyWaste disposalGround water and atmospheric consequences

Reduction of hazardous materials transport.Product engineering Reduced environmental impact at point of useSustainability

What are these targets (II)?

What are these targets (III)?

Resource ManagementWater purification; ground water beneficiationCarbon fixation

The importance of environmentally positive systems, not only environmentally positive elements.

All biological systems evolved within the terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environments. They have “experience” in what we are trying to do.

Example I: Biological reaction networks as models of chemical system energy transduction

Synthesis of general-purpose high energy compounds.

Catalyst-directed use of free energy along specified pathways.

Serial processes that sense product inventory and regulate earliest step. (Minimize in-process inventory)

Just-in-time synthesis

Example II: Organs and artificial organs as models of process intensification.

Segregation of reaction systems with membranes.

Use of high surface/volume ratios

Extensive use of carrier molecules

Use of circulation to synchronize separate reaction systems

Sten has been there for all that brings us here...

Seriously

But not always so …

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