Process integration
Our work focuses on the design, optimisation, operational optimisation and control of chemical and biochemical processes. This is core to the design and operation of sustainable chemical processes.
Over 40 years of world-leading process integration research.
Techniques developed in the research have been adopted worldwide.
Worldwide leading position in both academic research and industrial applications.
Supported by an industrial consortium for 40 years.
Sustainable industrial processes
We take a whole-system approach to making industrial processes more efficient, sustainable and profitable.
Combining engineering with artificial intelligence and machine learning, our researchers optimise energy, materials and resources across entire processes in the chemicals, pharmaceuticals and food processing sectors, with methods applied in thousands of industrial projects worldwide.
The challenges of net zero carbon emissions and the move to a circular economy are core to the research mission of process integration. The move to a sustainable chemical industry will only be successful with process integration at its core.
Robin Smith - Group Lead and Professor of Chemical Engineering
Research
Our areas of research
AI and machine learning
Our research in this area covers:
- The application of AI and machine learning to material discovery, molecular modelling, energy storage and carbon capture and utilization.
- AI for process modelling, optimisation and upscaling.
- Interpretable and generative AI for inverse design and knowledge discovery.
Intelligent process design and operation
Our research in this area covers:
- Process design and integration for net zero carbon emissions.
- Artificial intelligence, machine-learning and data-driven optimization for smart manufacturing.
- Modelling and soft sensors for manufacture of consumer products.
- Molecular characterisation and modelling for petroleum refining processes.
Intensified process technology
Our research in this area covers:
- Conceptualisation, design, testing and validation of new intensified processes based on renewables and low-carbon technologies. See our Industrial Hub for Sustainable Engineering.
- Process scale-up, pilot design and operation, including techno-economic optimisation and industrial assessment.
Centre for Process Integration
Researchers at our Centre are dedicated to changing process design practice, by developing and disseminating new process design and integration methods for clean and efficient use of raw materials, energy and capital.
We attempt, where appropriate, to maintain a two-step approach to solving process integration problems. The first sets performance targets, the second provides systematic design methods. We work closely with members of the Process Integration Research Consortium to ensure our methodologies are practical and meet the requirements of process designers.
Study with us
Your career in process integration starts here!
You can find relevant postgraduate research programmes and PhD projects on our Department page.
Master's courses relevant to our group are:
Connect with us
Our people
- Nausheen Basha - Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
- Jie Li - Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
- Robin Smith - Professor of Chemical Engineering
- Vincenzo Spallina - Reader in Chemical Engineering
- Dongda Zhang - Lecturer in Process Systems Engineering and Machine Learning
- Jiyizhe Zhang - Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
- Nan Zhang - Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering
- Santiago Zapata Boada
- Bovinille Anye Cho
- Isabel Pazmino Mayorga
- Chao Song
- Andrew David Wright
- Zekun Yang
- Adam Zaidi
- Taicheng Zheng
Get in touch
Contact our team
General enquiries
Professor Robin Smith: robin.smith@manchester.ac.uk
Business enquiries
Dr Nan Zhang: nan.zhang@manchester.ac.uk
Research enquiries
Applications of AI and machine learning: Dr Jie Li jie.li-2@manchester.ac.uk / Dr Dongda Zhang: dongda.zhang@manchester.ac.uk
Pilot and demonstration projects: Professor Vincenzo Spallina vincenzo.spallina@manchester.ac.uk
Reactor modelling and digital manufacturing: Dr Nausheen Basha nausheen.basha@manchester.ac.uk
Separation, recycling and recovery: Dr Jiyizhe Zhang jiyizhe.zhang@manchester.ac.uk