Leaders of the Rapid Advancement in Process Intensification Deployment (RAPID) Manufacturing Institute — a subsidiary of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and one of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Manufacturing USA Institutes — have identified five new projects that align with RAPID’s research focus areas. The collaborative projects will apply the principles of process intensification and modular processing technologies to improve efficiencies and reduce costs in energy-intensive manufacturing sectors including chemical and commodity processing, oil and gas, renewable bioproducts, and other industries.
Process intensification employs engineering principles to create industrial manufacturing processes that are more resource- and energy-efficient, cleaner, and safer. Modular chemical processing offers opportunities for improved efficiency and productivity, as well as streamlined operations, by integrating separate manufacturing unit processes into fewer, smaller-scale systems that are easier to build and deploy.