Dr. Robert P. Hesketh

Professor and Chair of Chemical Engineering

Hesketh@Rowan.edu

Office: 315 Rowan Hall
Phone: (856) 256-5313

Education:

BS, University of Illinois (1982)
Ph.D., University of Delaware (1987)
Post Doctorate Research at Cambridge England (1988-90)

Honors and Awards:

2007 AIChE Gary Leach Award to Robert P. Hesketh as a member of the Chem-E-Car Competition Safety Task Force.
2006 Chester F. Carlson Award, ASEE National Award for innovations in engineering education Sponsored by the Xerox Corporation.
Featured Educator in Chemical Engineering Education, 37(1) 8-13, Winter 2003
2002 Robert G. Quinn Award ASEE National Award, for leadership in engineering education through the development of an innovative experiential learning program.
Joseph J. Martin 2001 Award for the most outstanding Chemical Engineering Division paper presented at the 2000 ASEE Annual Meeting
Ray W. Fahien Award 1999, awarded by the Chemical Engineering Division of ASEE
Joseph J. Martin Award for the most outstanding Chemical Engineering Division paper presented at the 1998 ASEE Annual Meeting
1998 Dow Outstanding New Faculty Award
Joseph J. Martin Award for the most outstanding Chemical Engineering division paper presented at the 1997 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference
Who's Who Among America's Teachers 1996
DuPont Young Professor Award (1993-96)
Professor of the Month in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, April 1993 and October 1990. Awarded by Tau Beta Pi.
Professor of the Year in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, in 1991. Awarded by the University of Tulsa Mortar Board.

Courses

Principles of Chemical Processes II Spring 2009

Process Fluid Transport Fall 2009

Chemical Reaction Engineering Spring 2008

Transport Phenomena Fall 2007

Freshman Engineering Clinic 1: Section 4

Freshman Engineering Section 6 Fall 2000

Fluid Mechanics Spring 2000

Transfer Processes II: Mass Fall 1998

Schedule for Fall 2009

Senior & Junior Clinic Projects

Precious Metal Separations - Johnson Matthey – Adsorption, Ion-Exchange, precipitation, electrodialysis, ultrafiltration, electroplating, liquid-liquid extraction, waste heat recover, electrochemical processing of scrubber effluent

Catalyst Recovery – Novartis

Green Engineering – Johnson Matthey, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Valero

Nutraceutical Recovery & Novel Baking Technologies – Campbells Soup Co.

Wastewater Minimization – General Mills

Micromixing & Catalytic Reactors – NSF

Analysis of Control Valves – Durabla FT

Phase Transfer Catalysis – Value Recovery

Diesel Emission Reduction Techologies – NJDOT

Omega Engineering - Irreversible Temperature Sensors

Siemens Water Technologies: Flowmeter Software

Green Engineering Project

Green Engineering Website

Research

Research and Consulting Capabilities:

Reaction Engineering, Green Engineering, Diesel Emissions, Electrochemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Combustion Kinetics, and Finite Element Modeling.

Reaction Engineering: Microreactors, Fluidized bed systems, Combustion systems, Catalytic reactors, and Electrochemical reactors.

Novel Separations: Crystallization/Precipitation, Adsorption, Ion Exchange, Electrodialysis, Nano and Ultrafiltration,

Combustion Kinetics: prediction of reaction kinetics and pathways for nitrogen containing compounds

RESEARCH PROJECTS

Reduction of Diesel Emissions from Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles This project is an experimental study aimed at evaluating emission reduction strategies for diesel powered school buses and heavy duty diesel vehicles (HDDV’s). A variety of fuel types, mixtures, additives and exhaust treatment systems will be tested to determine the optimum configuration for various school bus duty cycles (e.g. rural, urban, etc.). A team of Rowan University faculty with substantial research expertise in combustion, chemically reacting systems, membrane separations and air pollution will monitor the testing, analyze the data and report the results. In addition to the school bus testing, a parallel study will be conducted to review and compare idle reduction technologies for HDDV’s.

Precipitation/Crystallization – Using laser diagnostic equipment to examine chord length distributions in stirred-tanks.

Membrane Separations – Application of ultrafiltration and microfiltration to industrial fluids.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction – Examination of new applications of supercritical fluids to recovery of high value added materials

Selective Adsorption – Solid phase extraction is being applied to industrial fluids to recovery high value added materials. New and innovative solid phase and water soluble polymers are being employed.

Chemical Reaction Kinetics in Combustion.
In this research area, we are examining the chemistry of gaseous pollutant formation and destruction related to combustion processes. Fuel nitrogen compounds are of particular concern because they are the principal source of Nox in the exhaust gases from combustion devices. This research is focused on obtaining reaction pathways for combustion of nitrogen contained in fuel. Both theoretical and experimental work is being conducted.

For more detailed information and more pictures of the flow reactor facility click here

Fluidized Bed Incineration.
Research is being conducted to examine the use of fluidized bed technology to incinerate liquid or solid wastes. In addition, ongoing research examines volatile combustion in fluidized beds. The goal of this research is to incinerate waste and burn coal in an environmentally acceptable manner. This includes maximizing the destruction of the waste or fuel and recovering the heat from this process. Currently the focus of the project is on the combustion reactions within the fluidized bed. We have identified that sand, a typical bed material, can inhibit the combustion reaction at low temperatures by a free radical termination reaction. The effects of surface area, surface type and concentration of chemical species on the inhibition of combustion are currently being investigated.

For more detailed information and more pictures of the fluidized bed facility click here

Multiphase Flow Dispersion
systems are used to increase the interfacial area and improve the rates of mass and/or heat transfer between one or more phases. The fundamental fluid mechanics of dispersed phase systems are being investigated to determine the rate of breakage and coalescence/agglomeration of bubbles drops and solid particles.

Resume

Recent Journal Articles:

Christian H Hornung, Bart Hallmark, Robert P Hesketh and Malcolm R Mackley, “The fluid flow and heat transfer performance of thermoplastic microcapillary films,” J. Micromech. Microeng. 16 pp434–447 (2006).

J. Ginn, A. Toback, J. Hearne, A. J. Marchese, R. P. Hesketh, and Cliff Amundsen, “Life Cycle Analysis of Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicle Idling Alternatives,” SAE 2004 Transactions, Vol.113-4, Journal of Fuels and Lubricants, pages 426-434.

Toback, A., Hearne, J., Kuritz, B., Marchese, A.J., Hesketh, R. P. The Effect of Ambient Temperature and Humidity on Idling Emissions from Diesel School Buses. SAE 2004 Transactions, Vol.113-4, Journal of Fuels and Lubricants, pages 530-538.

Dahm, K. D., R. P. Hesketh and M. J. Savelski, “Micromixing Experiments in the Introductory Chemical Reaction Engineering Course,” Chemical Engineering Education 39(2) 94-99 (2005).

Featured Educator in Chemical Engineering Education, 37(1) 8-13, Winter 2003

Slater, C. S. and R.P. Hesketh, “Incorporating Green Engineering into a Material and Energy Balance Course,” Chemical Engineering Education, 38(1), pp. 48-53, 2004.

Hesketh, R.P., C.S. Slater, M.J.Savelski, K.Hollar and S.Farrell, “A Program to Help in Designing Courses to Integrate Green Engineering Subjects,” Intl Journal of Engineering Education, 20(1) pp.113-128 (2004)

David R. Shonnard, David T. Allen, Nhan Nguyen, Sharon Weil Austin, and Robert Hesketh, “Green Engineering Education Through a US EPA/Academia Collaboration,” Environmental Science and Technology, 37(23) 5453-5462 (2003).

Marchese, A. J., R. P. Ramachandran, R. P. Hesketh, and J. L. Schmalzel, “The Competitive Assessment Laboratory: Introducing Engineering Design via Consumer Product Benchmarking,” IEEE Transactions on Education, 46(1) 197-205 (2003).

Farrell, S., R. P. Hesketh and C. S. Slater, “Exploring the Potential of Electrodialysis, Chemical Engineering Education 37 (1) 2003.

Stephanie Farrell, Robert P. Hesketh, Mariano J. Savelski, Kathryn Hollar, Kevin D. Dahm, and C. Stewart Slater, “Membrane Projects with an Industrial Focus in the Curriculum,” Chemical Engineering Education 37 (1) 2003.

Dahm, K. D., R. P. Hesketh, and M. J. Savelski Is Process Simulation Used Effectively in Chemical Engineering Courses? Chemical Engineering Education 36(3) 192 (2002)

Farrell, S. and R. P. Hesketh, “An Introduction to Drug Delivery for Chemical Engineers” Chemical Engineering Education 36(3) 198 (2002)

Hesketh, R. P., C. S. Slater, S. Farrell, and M. Carney, “Fluidized Bed Polymer Coating Experiment,” Chemical Engineering Education 36(2) 138 (2002).

Farrell, S., R.P. Hesketh, J.A. Newell and C.S. Slater- “Introducing Freshmen to Reverse Process Engineering And Design Through the Investigation of the Brewing Process,” International Journal of Engineering Education 17 (6) 2001.

Newell, J. A., S. H. Farrell, R. P. Hesketh, and C. Stewart Slater, Introducing Emerging Technologies into the Curriculum through a Multidisciplinary Research Experience,” Chemical Engineering Education 35(4) 296 Fall 2001.

R. P. Hesketh, Dianne Dorland, C.S. Slater, Stephanie Farrell, Mariano Savelski, Kathryn Hollar, Kevin Dahm, and James Newell “Applying Green Engineering Throughout the Curriculum,” Proc. Conf. Amer. Soc. Eng. Educ., Session 3651 (2001)

Hesketh, R. P. and D. Bosak and L. Kline, “Automotive Catalytic Reaction Engineering Experiment,” Chemical Engineering Education, 34 (3) 240 Summer 2000.

Hesketh, R. P. and C. S. Slater, “Innovative and Economical Bench-scale Process Engineering Experiments,” International Journal of Engineering Education 16(4) 327 2000.