Dr. Shri Ramaswamy, Professor and Department Head

Phone:  612-624-8797
E-mail:  shri@umn.edu

 
Ramaswamy Research Group Web Page

Ph.D. Paper Science and Engineering, 1990  SUNY, Syracuse, NY
M.S. Chemical Engineering, 1988 Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
M.S. Paper Science and Engineering, 1986  SUNY, Syracuse, NY
Diploma Pulp and Paper Engineering, 1981 University of Roorkee (Indian

Institute of Technology) Roorkee, India    

B.S. Physics, 1979  University of Madras  Madras, India

Areas of Interest
 
Our current research centers around two areas: transport processes including fluid flow, heat transfer and mass transfer in porous media; process engineering and product development in the areas of bio-energy and bioproducts. The first theme is focused on developing a better understanding of the fundamental 3D structural characteristics of porous materials using advanced techniques such as X-ray micro computed tomography and nano tomography and image analysis. These structural features are then used to developing important structure-property functional relationships using experimental and numerical analysis techniques such as random walk simulations and representative elemental volume analysis. Such relationships are useful in the design and development of "engineered" products tailored for specific end-use applications. One specific project includes transport processes and degradation kinetics of poly lactic acid (PLA) bio-based polymer with an objective to improving their moisture sorption characteristics without adversely affecting their end-use properties or degradation characteristics.

Our second theme is focused around using lignocellulosic biomass for second generation biofuels, bioenergy and bioproducts. Here we primarily focus on process modeling, design and simulation and applications to a concept called integrated biorefining, where we study the feasibility of producing multiple products from biomass - products include fiber, cellulosic ethanol, chemicals, polymers and energy.


Selected Publications
 
Hua-Jiang Huang, Shri Ramaswamy, U. W. Tschirner and B.V. Ramarao, A review of separation technologies in current and future biorefineries, Separations and Purifications Technology 62 (2008) 1-21 (August 2008)

Hua-Jiang Huang,  Shri Ramaswamy, Al-Dajani Waleeda, Ulrike Tschirner, Richard A Cairncross, Process modeling of comprehensive integrated forest biorefinery - Effect of biomass species and plant size on cellulosic ethanol: A comparative process and economic analysis, Biomass and Bioenergy (in press)

Ramaswamy, S., Tschirner, U., Chen, Y. Transforming Academic Curricula: Pulp and Paper to Bio-based Products, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, Chapter 4, Section 1, Materials, Chemicals and Energy from Forest Biomass Edited by Dimitris S. Argyropoulos 2007

Cairncross, R.A., Becker, J.G., Ramaswamy, S., O’Connor, R., Moisture Sorption, Transport, and Hydrolytic Degradation in Polylactide, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (2005) 1 129-132.

Aaltosalmi, U., Kataja, M., Koponen,A., Timonen, J., Goel, A., Lee, G., and Ramaswamy,S.Numerical Analysis of Fluid Flow Through Fibrous Porous Materials, Journal of Pulp and Paper Science 30 (9): 251-255 Sep 2004

Ramaswamy, S., A. Goel, D. Choi, A. Bandyopadhyay and B. V. Ramarao. The 3 Dimensional Structure of paper and its relationship to liquid and vapor transport, In “The Science of Papermaking.- Trans. 12th Fundamental Research Symposium”. The Pulp and Paper Fundamental Research Society, Bury, Lancashire BL9 0UF, UK (2001).

Courses Taught

• BBE 4312/5313    Pulp and Paper Unit Operations
• WPS 4314/5314   Papermaking Processes and Eng. Lab
• BBE 4401/5401    Bioproducts Engineering (co-taught with Prof. Wang)
• ESPM 3603/5603    Recycling Extending Raw Materials Supplies (co-taught with Prof. Tschirner
• BBE 3480    Renewable Energy and the Environment (co-taught with Huelskamp)