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Brochure 2015-16

Department of

Chemical Engineering

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Department Thrust Areas

A wide range of Chemical Engineering

frontier areas and its allied fields is being researched by the Department faculty. The

Departmental thrust areas are:

Process System Engineering

Material Science and Nanotechnology

Reaction Engineering and Catalysis

Energy and Environmental Engineering

Separation Processes

Thermodynamics and Phase Equilibrium

Interfacial Science and Engineering

Biochemical Engineering

IIChE Goa Regional Centre

The Goa Regional Centre of the Indian

Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE) has been restructured and established at the Department of Chemical Engineering

o Chairman: Prof. Saibal Ganguly

o Vice Chairman: Prof. Srinivas K. o Honorary Regional Secretary: Dr. S.

S. Baral IIChE Student Chapter is being formed

under the Goa Regional Centre. Several

multidimensional activities are being initiated.

ALCHEMISTA

The Chemical Engineering Students’ Association called ALCHEMISTA also operates under the Department of Chemical

Engineering.

Alignment of activities under ALCHEMISTA and the student chapter of IIChE are presently under progress.

About the Department

The Department of Chemical

Engineering at BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus was established in 2004. Initially the Department was initiated with

teaching and research in areas of Unit operations (Heat transfer, Mass transfer

and Fluid mechanics), Process control & Instrumentation. Over the years, the Department has diversified into several

research areas like process system engineering, materials and nanotechnology,

energy and environment engineering, biochemical processes etc. The overall academic program today reflects this

status.

The Department has a blend of rich

experienced faculty with young talents. They are constantly participating towards excellence in teaching and research.

The Department today boasts of a wide range of sophisticated experimental and computational facilities, built up through in-

house infrastructure-support grants and extramural research grants from various

funding agencies (DST, DBT, ABG, CHT) as well as industry (GAIL, Thermax, BPCL)

The Department has established and

continuously growing rapport with industry by way of research & consultancy projects

and continuing education courses (WILP).

Phase equilibrium test-rig

DST ─ FIST Laboratory

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Departmental Electives Transport Phenomenon Modeling and Simulation in Chemical

Engineering Chemical Process Technology Process Plant Safety

Chemical Process Optimization Advanced Process Control

Environment Pollution Control Corrosion Engineering Petroleum Refining & Petrochemical

Technology Polymer Technology

Introduction to Nano Science and Technology

M.E. Program

Core courses Advanced Chemical Engineering

Thermodynamics

Advanced Transport Phenomena Reaction Engineering

Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering

Research Methodology

Ph.D. Program

Full time and part time doctoral research program are also offered by Department.

Work Integrated

Learning program (WILP)

The Department conducts off-campus degree programmes as a means of customized continuing education for

employed professionals. The customized programmes under progress are:

M. Tech. in Environmental Engineering

(Goa State Pollution Control Board) B. Tech. in Process Engineering

Academic Programs

The academic programs of the Department include an integrated First Degree (B.E. Hons.), a Higher Degree (M.E.) and doctoral

degree (PhD.). The academic curriculum has been designed to include various

components of science and engineering to impart students the ability to function effectively and efficiently.

The laboratory and project oriented courses aim to synthesize fundamental

study of technologies with an emphasis on their practical significance. An array of specialized elective

courses is also offered by the Department.

B. E. Program Core courses Chemical Process Calculations Engineering Chemistry

Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics Fluid Mechanics Heat Transfer

Numerical Methods for Chemical Engineers

Material Science and Engineering Separation Process I Separation Process II

Kinetics and Reactor Design Process Design Principles I

Process Design Principles II Process Dynamics and Control

Laboratory courses Chemical Engineering Laboratory I Chemical Engineering Laboratory II

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Faculty Profile

Name Designation Research Areas Photo

Amol Deshpande

(M.E., BITS Pilani) Lecturer

Unmixed combustion for heat transfer applications Transport Phenomena

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Reaction engineering (Modeling)

Asima Shaukat

(Ph.D., IIT Kanpur)

Assistant

Professor

Rheological behavior of polymer-layered silicate clay and graphene nano-composites

Rheological and tribological behavior of bio-greases Advanced Transport Phenomena

Dhanya Ram V.

(Ph.D., IIT Madras)

Assistant

Professor

Process Control and Dynamics Multivariable Controller Design for Complex Chemical

Processes Modeling and Simulation

Jegatha Nambi Krishnan

(Ph.D., KIST – UST S Korea)

Assistant Professor

Bio-MEMS – Microfluidic separation and detection technologies Nanomaterials for sensor applications Advanced materials for Electrochemical Systems

Manjuri Kumar (Ph.D., BITS Pilani)

Assistant Professor

Synthesis and characterization of novel Chromium compounds using different chelating ligands Advanced thermoset resin systems Composites based on polybenzoxazine

Removal of toxic substances using modified polymers

Parul Sahu

(M. Tech., IIT Bombay) Lecturer

Phase Equilibrium Studies : Experimental and Molecular Simulation

Desalination Clathrate Systems : Calorimetric and Kinetic Studies

Rajagopal Vellingiri

(Ph.D., Imperial College London)

Assistant Professor

Thin film flows Wetting dynamics Hydrodynamic instabilities Gas Liquid Flows

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Name Designation Research Areas Photo

Saibal Ganguly (Ph.D., IIT Kanpur)

Professor & Head of the Department

Process Systems Engineering Online Optimization, Control, Virtual Realization of

Decision making Energy & Energy Materials, Refinery & Petrochemicals Cryogenic Engineering and Gas processing Coal and Biomass Torrefaction Iron & Steel and Mineral Processing Biochemical Process Synthesis

Sampatrao D. Manjare (Ph.D.,

BITS Pilani)

Associate Professor

Fuel Cell (High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane) Supercritical Fluid Extraction of natural products Life Cycle Assessment studies of the process plant

Saroj S. Baral

(Ph.D., NIT Rourkela)

Associate

Professor

Adsorptive removal of heavy metal from waste water Extraction and purification of metals from ores and industrial waste, Biogas Production from different waste

by Anaerobic digestion Control Engineering

Srinivas Krishnaswamy (Ph.D., University

of London)

Professor

Techno-commercial challenges posed in developing practical cost effective energy efficient and environment

friendly systems (Unmixed Combustion, Coke reduction desalination), Kinetics & Reactor Design Thermodynamics & Phase Equilibrium

Surendran G. (M. Tech.

Anna University)

Lecturer Separation Processes Chromium Recovery

Process Plant Safety

Sutapa Roy Ramanan

(Ph.D., Jadavpur University)

Professor

Nano-biomaterials for labeling and drug delivery

Electroceramic nano powders Thermal interface materials for electronic packaging Thin films for optical and electronic applications Corrosion Engineering Advanced Heat Transfer

Vaishnavi Unde (M. Tech. Bharati

Vidyapeth) Lecturer

Biochemical Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Non Tenure Track

Aniruddh Pandit

(UDCT, University of Bombay)

Adjunct Professor

Hydrodynamic Cavitation

Sonochemistry

Wastewater treatment Design of multi-phase reactors Biotechnology

K.N. Ponnani

(Ph.D., IIT Bombay)

Honorary

Visiting Professor

Advanced Separation Processes Reaction engineering Process Intensification Energy and Environmental Issues and technologies

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Research Highlights

Faculty in the Department of Chemical Engineering are engaged in fundamental

engineering research as well as applied industrial research. The Department,

through constant efforts of its faculty, has secured research funding for projects to the tune of almost Rs. 8 crores (till date) from

several government agencies and industries. Research infrastructure has been

created in niche areas with these funded projects and this is a constant ongoing activity. These experimental facilities are

well complemented by theoretical modeling, simulation and optimization facilities with

powerful process simulation, CFD and process control software packages.

Major Research Facilities

Accoustic Interferometer

Anton Paar Rheometer Atomic Absorption Spectrometer

BET Surface Area Analyzer BOD Analyzer and Incubator Bomb Calorimeter

Clathrate Autoclave COD Digestor

Cyclograph Differential Scanning Calorimeter Gas Chromatographs, HPLC

Hierarchical Advanced Control of Reactor Low & High Pressure Phase Equilibrium

System Laminar Flow Hood

Micro Carbon Residue Tester Muffle Furnace Optical Microscope

Orsat Apparatus Ozone Generator

Packed Bed & Distillation Column Plasma Cleaner Potentiometric Titrator

Refractometer Raman Spectrometer

Rotary Vacuum Evaporator Spin Coater Syringe Pump

Tribometer- Four Ball Tester Unmixed Combustion Test Rig

UV-VIS Spectrophotometer Vacuum Desiccator

Major Research Funding

Dept. of Chemicals and Fertilizers (114

Lakhs) GAIL (India) Ltd. (382 Lakhs) DST & Thermax (54 Lakhs)

DRDO & Ministry of Earth Sciences (36 Lakhs)

Aditya Birla Group (20 Lakhs) Ministry for New & Renewable Energy

(11 Lakhs) Centre for High Technology (133 Lakhs) Department for Bio-Technology (55

Lakhs) DST–INSA Inspire

DST – FIST (62 Lakhs)

Publications

After establishment of specialized research

facilities, the Department has taken initiative for acceleration of international

publications. Publications by the Department faculty

in research and education in last five years

78 papers published in peer reviewed journals (international and national)

4 Book chapters 4 Books 77 Conference / Proceedings

Publications

Recent Awards

Outstanding Potential for Excellence in Research and Academics (OPERA) Award 2013, BITS Pilani

o Dr. Jegatha Nambi Krishnan

INSA INSPIRE Faculty Award 2014,

DST, Govt. of India o Dr. Asima Shaukat

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Droplet dynamics in the presence of substrate heterogeneities and gas flow

Nonlinear wave behavior and absolute convective instabilities in stratified gas-liquid film flows

Low-dimensional modeling of interfacial flow system

Rheological dynamics of layered silicate clay and grapheme polymer nano-composites

Die-swelling behavior of polymer nano-composites (polymer extrusion)

Rheological and tribological behavior of greases

Tribometer- Four Ball Tester,

Anton Paar Rheometer

Rheology Laboratory

Synthesis & characterization of Copper

and Zinc complexes and studying their catalytic potential

Controlled release encapsulated fertilizers

Unmixed combustion: An alternative to

fire for applications in heat transfer applications

Kinetic studies with regard to coking applications in process industries

Thermodynamics and kinetics

investigations of gas hydrate systems Cryogenic processing and purification of

natural gas, power plant exhaust and marine/submarine applications

Cryo-Desalination Fuel Cell Technology

Nano-materials: Hydroxyapatite based nanomaterial for bio-imaging &

antimicrobial effects Hydroxyapatite based sustained release

fertilizers

Graphene based coatings for corrosion prevention

Nano-sensors for heavy metal ion detection

Chlorine resistant polymer nano-

composites Micro 3D-printing process

Geo-polymer

Plasma Cleaner

Material Synthesis Laboratory

Real time process simulators and

visualization for refining, polymers, iron & steel and mineral processing industries

Online optimization, advanced process control and virtual decision making for chemical process industries

Identification and control of linear multi-input-multi-output (MIMO) systems

Development of complex mineral extraction and concentration processes using advanced process control

Hierarchical Advanced Control Setup

Advanced Process Control Laboratory

Research Frontiers

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Research Frontiers

Vapor-Liquid phase equilibrium studies

on novel solvent for mass transfer applications

Super critical fluid extraction

High Pressure Equilibrium Set-up

DST-FIST Laboratory

Coke mitigation in process industries

Renewable and sustainable new energy sources including hydrogen energy and torrefaction of biomass

Ultraclean coal and alternate renewable carbon sources for process industries

Value added application of high ash coals and coking property enhancement

of biomass based torrefied products Microfluidic platform for water quality

analysis Nanotechnology for energy applications

including hydrogen energy

Waste water treatment using various techniques such as adsorption and

anaerobic digestion Metal extraction and purification from

various industrial waste

Environmental management Systems

(Life Cycle Assessment, pollution control strategies for air and water pollutants)

Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer

Analytical Laboratory

Biological studies on metal complexes with emphasis on DNA building and

cleavage, anticancer activity

Bio-catalysis and bio-transformation

Kinetic studies of biological systems

Autoclave and Shaker Incubator

Mass Transfer Laboratory

Contact us: Head of the Department

Department of Chemical Engineering BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus

NH-17B Zuarinagar Goa-403726 e-mail: saibalganguly@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in

Phone: 0832-2580241

Brochure designed by: Parul Sahu

Edited by: Prof. Saibal Ganguly