Dr. Mahmoud El-Halwagi, managing director of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Gas and Fuels Research Center, and holder of the McFerrin Professorship in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University, recently published the second edition of his textbook, “Sustainable Design through Process Integration: Fundamentals and Applications to Industrial Pollution Prevention, Resource Conservation and Profitability Enhancement.” The textbook, published by Elsevier, covers fundamental concepts and practical techniques on the use of process integration to maximize the efficiency and sustainability of industrial processes.
Until recently, sustainability, as a concept, was based on subjective opinions and anecdotal solutions. In the past two decades, however, as the field of process integrations has grown, engineers and plant designers have begun to reevaluate fundamental concepts and techniques to maximize the efficiency and sustainability of industrial processes. This textbook covers the many topics that are central to the process integration field, including benchmarking process performance, identifying root causes of problems and opportunities for improvement, designing integrated solutions, enhancing profitability, conserving natural resources and preventing pollution. The second edition of the book has expanded to include recent and developing topics like water-energy nexus, multi-scale system optimization, industrial symbiosis and shale gas monetization.
Beyond covering and exploring the topics and trends surrounding process integration, the textbook is filled with numerous industrial examples and case studies. All of these examples draw directly from El-Halwagi’s more than 30 years of experience in academic research and industrial consulting.
According to El-Halwagi, the textbook offers a great potential to impact the broader engineering field, and helps spread the benefits of his experience and research on process integration.
“I take special pride in teaching these tools and techniques to our students because I believe that such methods will support their preparation in becoming superb engineers and in making a difference, not only to their future employers but to humanity at large,” said El-Halwagi. “This is particularly important for our students since most of them are employed by the chemical and energy industries. The textbook also helps me reach out to a broader audience of students and practicing engineers around the world.”
El-Halwagi has written two other widely used textbooks, co-edited six books, and co-authored more than 350 refereed papers and book chapters. El-Halwagi is a recipient of The American Institute of Chemical Engineers Sustainable Engineering Forum Research Excellence Award, the National Science Foundation's National Young Investigator Award, as well as many university-level awards.
More information on the book can be found on the Elsevier website.