PhD Defense

PhD Defense | Developing Models Using Game Theory for Analyzing the Interaction of Various Stakeholders in Energy Systems, by Ehsan Haghi

Linda Sherwood — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 18:56:56 +0000

PhD Defense | Developing Models Using Game Theory for Analyzing the Interaction of Various Stakeholders in Energy Systems, by Ehsan Haghi Linda Sherwood Wed, 11/27/2019 - 13:56

You are invited to attend Ehsan Haghi's PhD defense, where he will discuss his research on the the use of game theory to analyze energy systems.

Abstract

The focus of this thesis is on investigating two areas: 1. The role of energy storage systems in Ontario and how they can be used to reduce GHG emissions in the province, and 2. Analyzing the interaction of the heat and electricity supply systems in Great Britain.

Supervisor: Professor Mike Fowler

PhD Defense | Integration of Design and Control for Large-Scale Applications: A Back-Off Approach, by Mina Rafieishishavan

Linda Sherwood — Wed, 08 Jan 2020 21:17:20 +0000

PhD Defense | Integration of Design and Control for Large-Scale Applications: A Back-Off Approach, by Mina Rafieishishavan Linda Sherwood Wed, 01/08/2020 - 16:17

You are invited to attend Mina Rafieishishavan's PhD defense, where she will discuss a practical and systematic method for integrating design and control that she has applied to medium-scale and large-scale applications.

Abstract

Design and control are two distinct aspects of a process that are inherently related, though these aspects are often treated independently. Performing a sequential design and control strategy may lead to poor control performance or overly conservative, and thus expensive, designs. Unsatisfactory designs stem from neglecting the connection of choices made at the process design stage that affects the process dynamics.

Integration of design and control introduces the opportunity to establish a transparent link between steady-state economics and dynamic performance at the early stage of the process design that enables the identification of reliable and optimal designs while ensuring feasible operation of the process under internal and external disruptions. Nevertheless, simultaneous process design and control often results in challenging computationally intensive formulations, which can be formulated conceptually as dynamic optimization problems. The size and complexity of the conceptual integrated problem impose a limitation on the potential solution strategies that could be implemented on large-scale industrial systems.

The aim of the research is to present a practical and systematic method for the integration of design and control for large-scale applications. The key idea is to use a back-off approach to initiate the search for the optimal direction in the optimization variables by solving a series of bounded optimization problems identified based on power series expansions. The methodology has been applied to medium-scale and large-scale applications such as the Tennessee Eastman process.

Supervisor: Professor Luis Ricardez Sandoval

PhD Defense | Effects of Nanoparticle Interfacial Additives on Phase Inversion of Pickering Emulsion, by Sileola Ogunlaja

Linda Sherwood — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 19:06:34 +0000

PhD Defense | Effects of Nanoparticle Interfacial Additives on Phase Inversion of Pickering Emulsion, by Sileola Ogunlaja Linda Sherwood Wed, 11/27/2019 - 14:06

Sileola Ogunlaja will be defending their research into the effects of nanoparticle interfacial additives on phase inversion of Pickering emulsion during a closed-door PhD defense session.

Supervisor: Professor Raj Pal