Daniel H. Chen, Ph.D.

Professor, Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering
University Professor & Scholar
Director, Abnormal Situation Management Lab
Director, Photocatalyst and Solar Processing Lab

Education

Ph.D. (Ch.E.), Oklahoma State University, 1981  
M.S. (Ch.E.), National Taiwan University, 1976
B.S. (Ch.E.), National Cheng Kung University, 1970

Experience

  • Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. August 1994 - Date. Associate Professor, 8/87-8/94; Assistant Professor 8/82 -8/87
  • Battelle Faculty Associate, US Army PMCD, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, 1995-1998
  • Research Fellow, Morgantown Energy Technology Center in Morgantown, West Virginia, 1990
  • Project Engineer, Chemical Engineering Consultants, Inc., Stillwater, Oklahoma. 1981 - 1982
  • Production Engineer, Hualon-Teijin Corporation, Tofen Polyester Plant, Tofen, Taiwan. 1971 - 1973

Research Interests

  • Catalysis & Photocatalysis (NOx / VOC abatement, Photochemical treatment of pesticides/pathogens, Solar Hydrogen, Sulfur Recovery)
  • Process Monitoring, Simulation, & Control (Flare Simulation, Process Diagnostics, and Dynamic Simulation)

Selected Publications

  • Sustainable Water Management and Technologies, Two-Volume Set: Sustainable Water Management (Volume I) and Sustainable Water Technologies (Volume II), Editor, Daniel H. Chen, Taylor & Francis/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2016. Print ISBN: 978-1-4822-1518-2 eBook ISBN: 978-1-4822-1519-9
  • Anan Wang, Helen H. Lou, Daniel Chen, Anfeng Yu, Wenyi Dang,  Xianchang Li , Christopher Martin, Vijaya Damodara, Ajit Patki, “Combustion Mechanism Development and CFD Simulation for the Prediction of Soot Emission during Flaring,” in press, Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, 2016.
  • Ajit Patki, Xianchang Li, Daniel Chen, Helen Lou, Peyton Richmond, Vijaya Damodara, Lan Liu, Kader Rasel, Arokiaraj Alphones, Jenny Zhou, "Numerical Simulation of Black Carbon (Soot) Emissions from Non-Premixed Flames," Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, v. 2, pp. 15-24, 2014.
  • Kanwar Devesh Singh, Preeti Gangadharan, Daniel H. Chen, Helen H. Lou, Xianchang Li & Peyton Richmond (2014), “Computational fluid dynamics modeling of laboratory flames and an industrial flare”, Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 64:11, 1328-1340, DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2014.948229.
  • Rakesh B. Sadu, Daniel H. Chen, Ashwini S. Kucknoor, Zhanhu Guo, Andrew J. Gomes, "Silver Doped -TiO2/Polyurethane Nano-Composites For Antibacterial Textile Coating",   BioNanoScience: Volume 4, Issue 2 (2014), Page 136-148, DOI: 10.1007/s12668-014-0125-x.
  • Kanwar Devesh Singh, Preeti Gangadharan, Daniel Chen, Helen H. Lou, Xianchang Li, P. Richmond, " Parametric Study of Ethylene Flare Operations and Validation of a Reduced Combustion Mechanism," Engineering Applications of Computational Fluid Mechanics, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 211–228 (2014).
  • Peyton C. Richmond and Daniel H. Chen, “A Model Predictive Control Package for Undergraduate Education,” Education for Chemical Engineers, 7 (2012), e43-e50.
  • R. Asapu, M. Palla, B. Wang, Z. Guo, R. Sadu, D. Chen, “Phosphorus-Doped Titania Nanotubes with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity,” Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 225 (1), pp. 81-87 (2011).
  • Thermophysical Properties of Chemicals and Hydrocarbons, “Density of Solid-Organic/Inorganic Compounds,” Ed. Carl L. Yaws, William Andrew, Norwich NY, 2008.
  • K. Vajifdar, D. Chen, J. Gossage, K. Li, X. Ye, G. Gadiyar and B. Ardoin , "Photocatalytic oxidation of PCE and Butyraldehyde over Titania modified with  perovskite optical crystal BaTiO3" Chemical Engineering and Technology,   30 (4), 474-480 (2007).
  • Daniel H. Chen, Patrick Lo, William P. Swan, “Zero-Lag Exponential Moving Average for Real-Time Control and Noisy Data Processing,” Hydrocarbon Processing, 61-70, October 2007.
  • P. Lo, W. Swan, D. Chen, P. Wetuski, S. Stout, “Detection of Interacting Controllers Using Fast Fourier Transform and Correlation Coefficient,” Hydrocarbon Processing, April 2006.
  • S. Devahasdin, C. Fan, K. Li, and D. Chen, “TiO2 Photocatalytic Oxidation Of Nitric Oxide: Transient Behavior And Reaction Kinetics” Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry, 156/1-3 pp 161 – 170 (2003).

Awards and Honors

  • University professor, 2016; University Scholar, 2010.
  • 3.5 million of total completed and on-going grants from DOD, DOE, EPA, USDA, NSF, TCEQ, AQRP, ATP, & private sectors.
  • "Abnormal Situation Management & Big Data," D. Chen (PI), Distinguished Research Fellow Award and Visionary Initiatives, Lamar University, 09/01/16-8/31/2019.
  • “Modeling and Set Point Determination for Flare Operations,” D. Chen (PI), H. Lou, X. Li, and C. Martin, Texas Air Research Center (TARC), 09/01/15-7/15/2017.
  • “MRI: Acquisition of an LC/MS/MS System for Multidisciplinary Research and Educational Projects," Daniel H. Chen (PI), David L. Cocke, Che-Jen Lin, Paul Bernazzani, Andrew Jewel Gomes, NSF CBET-1338088, $456,549, 09/01/2013-08/31/2017.
  • “Computational Fluid Dynamics and Neural Network Modeling of Industrial Flares," 10 grants from 05/01/07-07/15/17, $886,765, TCEQ, AQRP, HARC, and TARC, with K. Li, H. Lou, X. Li, C. Martin, and P. Richmond (D. Chen served as PI for 6, K. Li for 2 and H. Lou for 2). “Flare Performance Optimization: DRE/CE vs. Soot,” Daniel H. Chen (PI), Helen Lou, Xianchang Li, Peyton Richmond, Matthew Johnson (Carleton University, Canada), Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ),  01/01/14-8/31/2014,
  • “Field Sampling, Chemical Analysis, and Photochemical Treatment of Herbicides/Pharmaceuticals-Contaminated Water and Sediment in the Rio Grande Basin,” 6 grants spanning from 07/01/04 to 08/31/13, $265,000, D. Chen (PI), with A. Gomes, K. Urbanczyk, B. Wang, H. R. Yoder, D. Flaherty, K. Sternes, and R. Tadmor.
  •  “ALEP Fuel Cell Catalyst & Hydrogen,” David Cocke (PI), Jack R. Hopper, Daniel H. Chen, Sidney Lin, US Army Missile Defense Command, $7,250,000, 2005-2012.
  • “Improving Engineering Curricula by Integrating PBL Pedagogy with Modern Manufacturing Case Studies,” National Science Foundation, CCLI 0737089 $149,897, 03/15/08-02/28/10.
  • “Green Construction Materials for Air-borne Pollutants Removal,” Texas Air Research Center, $70,277,09/01/06-08/31/09. “Photocatalytic Coating on Road Pavements/Structures for NOx Abatement,” USEPA/Houston Advanced Research Center, $50,000, 01/01/06-02/28/08.
  • “Leaks Detection and Source Identification Using Airborne, On-Water, and On-Road Infrared Camera and GPS system,” Daniel H. Chen, David Furry, TCEQ, $102,170, 2005 (TxAQII Remote Sensing VOC Project).“TexAQS II Remote Sensing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Data Analysis,” Daniel H. Chen, TCEQ, $10,000, 2006.
  • “Controller Performance Diagnostics, Process/Controller Parameter Identification, and Predictive Maintenance,” Nexus Engineering, $76,160, 2001-2005.
  • Ten (10) consecutive Exxon-Mobil grants to support process modeling, simulation, and control education to undergraduate/ graduate students and area engineers (1998-2007).
  • Omega Chi Epsilon, Faculty Advisor (1998-2007); Tau Beta Pi, Sponsor Faculty (1982-2014).