CHEMICAL REACTOR, NATURAL GAS RESEARCH
EARN TOP HONOR FOR UH PROFESSOR
Dan Luss Recipient of American Institute of Chemical Engineers
Award for Outstanding Contributions
HOUSTON, Oct. 26, 2005 – From avoiding explosions in chemical
reactors to developing more economical methods for natural gas conversion,
nearly 40 years of research by one University of Houston professor
has garnered him one of the highest honors given in the field of
chemical engineering.
UH Chemical Engineering Professor Dan Luss is the recipient of
the 2005 Founders Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field
of Chemical Engineering from the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers (AIChE). The award will be given to Luss at the AIChE
Annual Meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 30.
Garnering more than $6.7 million in funding during his career, Luss
served as principal investigator of many research projects and often
collaborated with long-time colleague James T. Richardson, also
a UH chemical engineering professor, on joint research endeavors.
Actively focusing on various aspects of chemical reactors design,
operation and control, Luss’ research group deals with developing
operation and control policies that prevent chemical reactors from
a runaway, such as a rapid, uncontrollable temperature increase
leading to an explosion. Other research projects are concerned with
increasing the efficiency of chemical processes and of the large-scale
synthesis of advanced ceramics, such as superconducting materials.
A gas burner can have two different states. It can be either ignited
or extinguished. Similarly, chemical reactors can attain several
steady states, some of which produce undesired products and some
leading to an excessive high temperature and explosion. The initial
conditions determine which of these states is attained, just as
ignition determines the state of a gas burner. One aspect of Luss’
research is developing start-up procedures that will lead the reactor
to the desired steady state and avoid explosions. For example, several
explosions of industrial reactors have occurred due to the formation
of a local hot region next to the wall of the reactor. The hot zone
decreased the strength of the metal wall and this led to a crack.
The release of the high pressure and temperature reactant mixtures
led to explosion. Luss conducted research that predicted the conditions
leading to the formation of these hot spots. That information can
be used to develop operation procedures that prevent their harmful
formation.
Normally, when a thermostat is set to a lower temperature, the room
temperature goes down. However, in chemical reactors, a sudden decrease
of the feed temperature can lead to an unexpected temperature rise
and can cause an operator to take a wrong action. Luss has conducted
extensive research that explained when this so-called “wrong-way
behavior” occurs and how to prevent it.
There is current significant interest in converting natural gas
directly to chemicals alongside the gas wells to avoid the need
to transport it over a long distance. The existing commercial process
for accomplishing this requires an expensive separation of oxygen
from air. Luss’ research aims to avoid this expensive step
by use of a special membrane tube through which the oxygen from
the air diffuses and reacts directly with the natural gas.
Another research activity deals with developing new, more economical
processes for the large-scale production of advanced ceramic materials.
He developed together with Richardson a process that enabled a large
reduction in the price of producing superconducting materials. Recently,
his group developed a more economical process for the production
of ceramics that have important technological applications, such
as components of electric and electronic devices, solid-oxide fuel
cell components and color additives.
Luss has contributed significantly to education, research and professional
organizations throughout his career and has served as the chair
of several international professional meetings held in Houston.
He received his B.S. and M.S. in chemical engineering from Technion
in Israel and his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Joining
UH as an assistant professor in the chemical engineering department
at the Cullen College of Engineering in 1967, Luss was promoted
to professor within five years and named a Cullen Professor in 1984.
As chair of the department for more than 20 years, he laid the foundation
for one of the best chemical engineering programs in the nation,
now led by Michael Harold, Dow Chair Professor, who completed his
doctoral studies under the guidance of Luss in 1985.
“Dan’s leadership and scholarship have brought considerable
visibility to UH and to the department, helping us to achieve great
heights,” Harold said. “In his research, Dan has developed
and applied sophisticated tools to help us understand chemical reactors,
leading to improved reactor designs in practice. His standard of
excellence has inspired me as chair of the department.”
In addition to being elected to the National Academy of Engineering
in 1984, Luss has received several AIChE awards, including Fellow
of the AIChE, the Wilhelm Award, the Professional Progress Award,
the Allan P. Colburn Award and eight Best Paper Awards from the
Southwest section of the AIChE.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
About the Cullen College of Engineering
UH Cullen College of Engineering has produced five U.S. astronauts,
ten members of the National Academy of Engineering, and degree programs
that have ranked in the top ten nationally. With more than 2,600
students, the college offers accredited undergraduate and graduate
degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil and environmental, electrical
and computer, industrial, and mechanical engineering. It also offers
specialized programs in aerospace, materials, petroleum engineering
and telecommunications.
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