Upon graduating in June 2010 from the University of Douala, Cameroon, I worked as an Electrical Engineer at the sole Electrical Energy production, transmission and distribution company in Cameroon, ENEO, and also taught Electrical Technology in Technical High Schools. By March 2012, I joined the National Refining Company, SONARA, Limbe-Cameroon; where I worked with the Exploitation department and undertook a work-based Field Operator Certification in Refining and Chemical production facilities with IFP Training, France. Thereafter, I pursued my masters in Chemical Engineering as a graduate research assistant in Dr. Debangsu Bhattacharyya’s team, the advanced process and energy systems engineering group, with research interest on optimization and process control of refinery and energy production plants.
Work Experience:
Currently working at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA
Education:
M.S. Chemical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 2016 – 2018
Graduate Diploma in Education and Electrical Engineering, University of Douala, Cameroon, 2008 – 2010
Undergraduate Diploma in Education and Electrical Engineering, University of Douala, Cameroon, 2005 – 2008
Dynamic Modeling and Advanced Control of a Refinery Hydrocracker Process
Development of a dynamic non-isothermal hydrocracker model that can estimate temperatures and concentration profile along the reactor is undertaken in this work. With reaction kinetics being critical to modeling and simulation of a hydrocracking reactor, the complex chemistry of hydrocarbons is represented by a continuous lumping approach. The true boiling points of the mixture are used as characterization parameters.
A parameter estimation framework is developed for estimating the key kinetic parameters for the continuous kinetic lumping approach. Experimental data for Maya crude oil obtained before and after cracking through a bench-scale hydrocracking reactor are used to obtain parameters for the continuous kinetic lumping technique.
The model is used to study the impact of a number of key variables. Finally a model-based controller is developed for controlling the weight fractions of gasoline, and/or kerosene, and/or diesel in the final product. A linear model is identified and used in the model-based control. Both single input single output (SISO) and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) controllers are developed. Servo control and disturbance rejection characteristics of the controllers are studied.