Process Intensification (PI) aims to drastically reduce energy consumption and processing cost of chemical processes by utilizing the synergy between multifunctional phenomena at different times, spatial scales, by enhacing mass, heat and momentum transfer rates.

There has been an escalating growth in the field of process intensification in the last decades that have featured both successful industrial applications and increased research interests. PI is often considered a standalone “toolbox” containing particular examples to process improvement rather than a powerful systematic strategy striving for innovation. Process intensification offers a promising opportunity for drastic process improvement on economic performance and energy performance to survive the global competitive market and to meet the increasing demands for sustainable production. Process systems engineering contributes to the development of novel process intensification technologies by providing systematic supports for the identification of optimal process configurations.

Despite these efforts, several key open questions remain: (i) How can one efficiently screen the large design space and to systematically derive intensified/modular designs? (ii) How can one estimate the feasibility and cost of newly intensified designs? (iii) How can one ensure that the derived intensified structures are operable and optimal while delivering their expected functionality?

It is the goal of ADRESS to find the answers to these and other questions.

Selected Reference: Ramírez – Márquez, C., Vidal – Otero, M., Vázquez – Castillo, J.A., Martín, M., Segovia – Hernández, J.G., 2018, Process Design and Intensification for the Production of Solar Grade Silicon, Journal of Cleaner Production, 170. 1579 – 1593.