Rakesh Agrawal
Encyclopedia
Dr. Rakesh Agrawal is the Winthrop E. Stone Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at Purdue University
, West Lafayette, Indiana. Previously he was employed for more than two decades with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., where he was elected to the highest technical position in the company, an Air Product Fellow, before moving to Purdue in 2004. His technical contributions towards improving the energy efficiency of separation plants producing industrial gases such as O2 and N2 from air, and in the general area of gas liquefaction and separation, has led to 116 US patents and 500 international patents along with several peer-reviewed publications. Recently, in recognition of his technical accomplishments during his more than two decades at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., he was announced as the recipient of National Medal of Technology and Innovation for 2011, by the White House
. His efforts have also been recognized by previously received awards including, J & E Hall Gold Medal from the Institute of Refrigeration (UK), Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Delaware, Industrial Research Institute (IRI) Achievement Award and from the AIChE : the Gerhold, Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology, Institute Lecture, Chemical Engineering Practice, and Fuels and Petrochemicals Division awards. In 2004, He was elected as a member of the US National Academy of Engineering
.
At Purdue, Dr. Agrawal's current research initiatives are in the area of renewable energy
, including developing low-cost methods for synthesizing solar cells based on Nanotechnology, efficient conversion to biomass to liquid fuel for transportation and maximizing liquid fuel from a given quantity of biomass. He is also engaged in an energy systems analysis initiative to explore the role of biofuels vis-a-vis other solar energy derived alternatives to propel a future transport sector. In addition, he continues to engage in research pertaining to improving the energy efficiency
of separation processes, with the focus on energy efficient distillation configurations for multicomponent separations as well as membrane based separation processes.
Dr. Agrawal received a B. Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
, India in 1975; a M.Ch.E. from the University of Delaware
in 1977, and an Sc.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) , 1980.
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
, West Lafayette, Indiana. Previously he was employed for more than two decades with Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., where he was elected to the highest technical position in the company, an Air Product Fellow, before moving to Purdue in 2004. His technical contributions towards improving the energy efficiency of separation plants producing industrial gases such as O2 and N2 from air, and in the general area of gas liquefaction and separation, has led to 116 US patents and 500 international patents along with several peer-reviewed publications. Recently, in recognition of his technical accomplishments during his more than two decades at Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., he was announced as the recipient of National Medal of Technology and Innovation for 2011, by the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. His efforts have also been recognized by previously received awards including, J & E Hall Gold Medal from the Institute of Refrigeration (UK), Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement from the University of Delaware, Industrial Research Institute (IRI) Achievement Award and from the AIChE : the Gerhold, Excellence in Industrial Gases Technology, Institute Lecture, Chemical Engineering Practice, and Fuels and Petrochemicals Division awards. In 2004, He was elected as a member of the US National Academy of Engineering
National Academy of Engineering
The National Academy of Engineering is a government-created non-profit institution in the United States, that was founded in 1964 under the same congressional act that led to the founding of the National Academy of Sciences...
.
At Purdue, Dr. Agrawal's current research initiatives are in the area of renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
, including developing low-cost methods for synthesizing solar cells based on Nanotechnology, efficient conversion to biomass to liquid fuel for transportation and maximizing liquid fuel from a given quantity of biomass. He is also engaged in an energy systems analysis initiative to explore the role of biofuels vis-a-vis other solar energy derived alternatives to propel a future transport sector. In addition, he continues to engage in research pertaining to improving the energy efficiency
Energy efficiency
Energy efficiency may refer to:*Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency.*Energy conversion efficiency, the ratio between the output and input of an energy conversion machine....
of separation processes, with the focus on energy efficient distillation configurations for multicomponent separations as well as membrane based separation processes.
Dr. Agrawal received a B. Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur is a Central deemed University located in Uttar Pradesh, about 15 km north-west of the city of Kanpur in the Kalyanpur suburb....
, India in 1975; a M.Ch.E. from the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
in 1977, and an Sc.D. in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
(MIT) , 1980.