Yong Wang of PNNL
"I Like Doing Things That Haven't Been Done Before"
February / March 06
Volume 4 Number 1
Catalysis expert Yong Wang is something of a catalyst himself. Catalysts are substances that increase the rate of a chemical reaction without being consumed in the reaction. In his 11 years at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Wang has led and inspired teams that are making fundamental discoveries in catalysis—€”discoveries that underlie advancements in fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly energy sources, such as fuel cells and biomass conversion.
Wang's energy for making things happen has earned him 57 issued patents, with more than 30 patents pending. Where do those ideas come from? Wang puts it simply, "I like doing things that haven't been done before." A prolific inventor, author and presenter in his role as engineer, Wang is motivated by the joy of creating, but deeper beliefs also guide him. "The impacts of the technologies I work with, especially those that reduce our dependency on imported oil, have the potential to transform the way we live," he said.
Since his arrival at PNNL in 1994, Wang has energized growth in the Richland Chinese-American community, taking on leadership roles in the local Chinese-American association and volunteering his time in service activities aimed at strengthening the community and enhancing Chinese-American cultural exchange. His contributions to science and the Chinese community were recognized when Wang was selected 2006 Asian American Engineer of the Year by the Chinese Institute of Engineers—€”USA.
In on the ground floor
Wang came to PNNL after graduating from Washington State University with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering. Almost immediately, catalysis caught his attention.
"I thought catalysis was very interesting because not only can you change reaction pathways but you can change reaction rates to get different products," Wang said. His fascination with chemistry combined with the freedom to explore his interests offered by a national laboratory allowed him to "get in early" on biomass and microchannel research. Biomass, such as corn and wheat stubble, can serve as an alternative fuel and replace petroleum in chemical products. Microchannel research, which can significantly improve chemical and physical reactions, is a key component in creating fuel cells. Catalysis is at the heart of both processes.
Wang says the ideas for his innovations are inspired by the very problems he grapples with solving. For example, integrating catalysts with microchannel reactors is a major problem in developing microchannel reaction technology. Another issue is replacing homogenous acid catalysts like sulfuric and hydrochloric acids—€”which are essential in the reactions—€”with solid acid catalysts that are safer and have less environmental risks.
"Nobody wants to touch these acids because they are so hard to handle," Wang said. "Not to mention all of the environmental concerns and the propensity of acids to corrode." Add to this the difficulty in separating acids from the product and scientists often feel as if they are seeking the Holy Grail: efficient and environmentally friendly catalysts. Wang doesn't claim to have found the Holy Grail, but much of his work focuses on the basic science needed to address these issues.
Big progress in small tech
Microchannel technology intensifies chemical processes by significantly improving heat- and mass-transfer operations. Small parallel grooves in the microchannel devices rapidly exchange heat and chemicals. This process intensification holds the potential for reducing the size of systems, improving selectivity and yield and lowering costs. In addition, the technology holds promise for reducing energy consumption and environmental concerns in the chemical industry. Wang's challenge is to develop ways to maximize heat and mass transfer through creative engineering of the channel structure.
One of these attempts contributed to the success of the compact microchannel fuel vaporizer, a unit that turns waste hydrogen from a fuel cell into energy that is then used to vaporize the cell's liquid hydrocarbon fuel. The technology enables manufacture of compact fuel processor units for portable applications. The fuel vaporizer was honored with a R&D 100 award from R&D Magazine in 1999 as one of the year's top 100 technology achievements.
Wang's innovation successfully linked catalysis science and reaction engineering, which set off radical changes in the way conventional chemical processes are operated. In particular, his innovation enables process intensification in energy applications. The key is the use of structured materials such as foams, monoliths and felts as a new type of catalyst support.
Wang's enthusiasm for innovative problem solving is contagious. He and the team he credits for much of his successes have accelerated the development of microchannel technology for a wide range of energy conversion applications, including heat pumps, enzymatic reactors and combustors. Wang wants to spread the word about the importance of catalysis in everyday life. "About 60 percent of the things we wear or use are produced by a process using catalysis," he said. "Everyone understands the importance of health care and medical research, but perhaps if more people understood how dependent the economy, energy and environment are on catalysis-related research, they would live in a better way.
Virginia Sliman is a senior communications specialist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
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