tsaycing
Nov 11, 2015
Graduate / My involvement in CO2 capture research - SOP for PhD in Chemical Engineering [2]
I have always enjoyed studying chemical engineering and been actively engaged in endeavors to exploit the role of this discipline in environmental protection. When I worked as an intern at a printed circuit board plant later during my sophomore year, I was, like my colleagues, frequently exposed to noxious gases, suffocating heat, and toxic heavy metals released from the electroplating process and various other chemical processes going on within the plant. Protective gear at the time for all personnel was dangerously minimal: disposable activated carbon masks and rubber gloves. Soon I learned from a faculty member of my department (who specializes in industrial safety and hygiene) that equipping the plant with local exhaust ventilation and the workers with personal protective equipment would be an economically viable approach to such poisonous working environment. This internship experience would prompt me to explore the application of chemical engineering to more tangible environmental problems.
I fostered this curiosity mainly through my involvement in CO2 capture research. In my senior year, two classmates and I won an Honorable Mention in a department-wide chemical process design competition. We used Aspen Plus to design and simulate an oxy-fuel combustion process in a coal-fired power plant. Given that the existing renewables fall short of replacing fossil fuels as a safe and stable energy source, our study aimed to reduce as many emissions as possible from such plants. In our model, pulverized coal was burned using a mixture of pure oxygen and recycled flue gas as the primary oxidant. This decreased the concentration of NOX and SOX of flue gas and produced a stream of highly concentrated CO2, which provides a possible avenue to cut the cost of CO2 capture and improve the efficiency of this process. This research experience would motivate me to dig deep into CO2 capture technologies.
After graduation, I worked as a research assistant for Prof. xxx, who specializes in polymerization engineering. I have since assisted Prof. xxx with a government-funded project to develop a highly permeable and selective CO2 separation membrane. To that end, we aim to make polymerized room-temperature ionic liquids (poly (RTILs)) by synthesizing RTIL monomers that have high thermal stability, which enables the poly (RTILs) to endure intense heat when being released along with emissions from an exhaust flue and therefore absorb CO2 efficiently. As it is the first study of its kind undertaken in Prof. xxx's lab, I have been reviewing literature carefully, working closely with Prof.xxx, and performing experiments to obtain the best results possible. Currently, I am tuning the cationic and anionic compositions of IL monomers to determine the conditions optimal for gas separation in coal-fired power plants. Failures in the experiment happen, but they are solidifying my pursuit of what I firmly believe will push membrane technology to a new frontier.
Driven by this passion toward joining an ever-growing scholarly enterprise to "fight" CO2 emission, I am planning to push beyond my limits to develop a solid understanding of Carbon Capture, Storage and Utilization (CCSU)-with an eye to improving the environmental wellbeing of my homeland, Taiwan.
Taiwan is vulnerable to extreme weathers due to climate change. For example, with an average global temperature increasing by 1℃, the island nation suffers an increase in typhoon-driven extreme precipitation of 150%, according a study by climatologist Shaw-Chen Liu. Landslides and floods happen in many regions of Taiwan every time a typhoon hits, and they will inevitably become more fierce and frequent if emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases continue to rise, perpetuating global warming. In response to Taiwan's vulnerability to climate change, the government passed the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Management Act in June 2015, which stipulates a 2050 emission reduction target. I believe your doctoral program in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will afford me ample opportunity to explore the ins and outs of the CCSU technology with which I can utilize to facilitate the ongoing efforts of the Taiwanese government to reach its emission reduction goal.
I have always enjoyed studying chemical engineering and been actively engaged in endeavors to exploit the role of this discipline in environmental protection. When I worked as an intern at a printed circuit board plant later during my sophomore year, I was, like my colleagues, frequently exposed to noxious gases, suffocating heat, and toxic heavy metals released from the electroplating process and various other chemical processes going on within the plant. Protective gear at the time for all personnel was dangerously minimal: disposable activated carbon masks and rubber gloves. Soon I learned from a faculty member of my department (who specializes in industrial safety and hygiene) that equipping the plant with local exhaust ventilation and the workers with personal protective equipment would be an economically viable approach to such poisonous working environment. This internship experience would prompt me to explore the application of chemical engineering to more tangible environmental problems.
I fostered this curiosity mainly through my involvement in CO2 capture research. In my senior year, two classmates and I won an Honorable Mention in a department-wide chemical process design competition. We used Aspen Plus to design and simulate an oxy-fuel combustion process in a coal-fired power plant. Given that the existing renewables fall short of replacing fossil fuels as a safe and stable energy source, our study aimed to reduce as many emissions as possible from such plants. In our model, pulverized coal was burned using a mixture of pure oxygen and recycled flue gas as the primary oxidant. This decreased the concentration of NOX and SOX of flue gas and produced a stream of highly concentrated CO2, which provides a possible avenue to cut the cost of CO2 capture and improve the efficiency of this process. This research experience would motivate me to dig deep into CO2 capture technologies.
After graduation, I worked as a research assistant for Prof. xxx, who specializes in polymerization engineering. I have since assisted Prof. xxx with a government-funded project to develop a highly permeable and selective CO2 separation membrane. To that end, we aim to make polymerized room-temperature ionic liquids (poly (RTILs)) by synthesizing RTIL monomers that have high thermal stability, which enables the poly (RTILs) to endure intense heat when being released along with emissions from an exhaust flue and therefore absorb CO2 efficiently. As it is the first study of its kind undertaken in Prof. xxx's lab, I have been reviewing literature carefully, working closely with Prof.xxx, and performing experiments to obtain the best results possible. Currently, I am tuning the cationic and anionic compositions of IL monomers to determine the conditions optimal for gas separation in coal-fired power plants. Failures in the experiment happen, but they are solidifying my pursuit of what I firmly believe will push membrane technology to a new frontier.
Driven by this passion toward joining an ever-growing scholarly enterprise to "fight" CO2 emission, I am planning to push beyond my limits to develop a solid understanding of Carbon Capture, Storage and Utilization (CCSU)-with an eye to improving the environmental wellbeing of my homeland, Taiwan.
Taiwan is vulnerable to extreme weathers due to climate change. For example, with an average global temperature increasing by 1℃, the island nation suffers an increase in typhoon-driven extreme precipitation of 150%, according a study by climatologist Shaw-Chen Liu. Landslides and floods happen in many regions of Taiwan every time a typhoon hits, and they will inevitably become more fierce and frequent if emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases continue to rise, perpetuating global warming. In response to Taiwan's vulnerability to climate change, the government passed the Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction and Management Act in June 2015, which stipulates a 2050 emission reduction target. I believe your doctoral program in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will afford me ample opportunity to explore the ins and outs of the CCSU technology with which I can utilize to facilitate the ongoing efforts of the Taiwanese government to reach its emission reduction goal.