Yuen-Koh Kao

PROFESSOR
B.S. (ChE) National Taiwan University, 1964
M.S. (ChE) Northwestern University, 1968
Ph.D. (ChE) Northwestern University, 1973
Phone: (513)556-2762, FAX: (513)556-3473
ykao@alpha.che.uc.edu

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Cyclic Processes

Many chemical processes operating under a steady cyclic mode can outperform their conventional steady state analogues. These processes can be identified by a preliminary process valuation with a simplified transport phenomena-based model. Experiments, with its designs and optimal operating conditions defined by the preliminary evaluation, will then be conducted to demonstrate the predicted potential benefits. Many separation schemes, including membrane-based processes, are conceivable beneficiaries of the cyclic operating mode.

Electrochemical Engineering

The energy efficiency of many electrochemical processes must be improved before they can compete with traditional nonelectrochemical counterparts. Many identified process routes provide research opportunities in which many chemical engineering principles will find new applications.

Process Control and Optimization

Optimal configurations of membrane separation processes is one of the emphases in process optimization. Steady cyclic operations can also provide alternate routes to improve membrane separation process performance. Control strategy to achieve the above is another emphasis. A different but equally important emphasis is the development of efficient numerical strategy to handle many `difficult' numerical problems in the area of process control and optimization.

Boiling Heat Transfer

There is a need to further the understanding of and to improve the boiling heat transfer in the temperature range beyond the nuclear boiling region and before the onset of film boiling. The heat transfer in this transition boiling region has the undesirable property that the heat transfer coefficient decreases drastically as hot surface temperature increases. Research emphasis is an improving the understanding of the transition boiling phenomenon and finding ways to eliminate this region.

Separation System Analysis

There is a new way to represent separation by representing each stream by a separation vector and each component by a segregation vector. A separation system can be represented geometrically with the help of their vector space metric tensors. It is possible to arrive at a comprehensive characterization of any type of separation systems. Applications are numerous. Current research effort are directed toward the use of this representation in the optimization of chromatographic separation, the design of optimal separation cascades and separation system synthesis.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS