About CPSE - An International Research Leader in Process Systems Engineering
The Centre for process Systems Engineering (CPSE) is a multi institutional research centre involving 26 academic staff from Imperial College and University College London, 80 PhD students and 21 research fellows and associates. In the last 5 years we have been managing a portfolio of grants worth more than £20 million which come from the UK Research Councils, UK and International industry, the European commission and other funding bodies.
As the founding Director of the Centre from 1989 to his retirement in 1992, Professor Roger Sargent has played a unique role in shaping the future of systems engineering research. CPSE has continued with Professor Sargent's legacy and remains a Centre of Excellence. CPSE’s outstanding records have been recognized by many awards. An example is in 2007, Process Systems Enterprise Limited, a spin-out from Centre for Process Systems Engineering received Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award for its cutting-edge mathematical modelling systems developed to help make chemical plants safer and more efficient. The MacRobert award is the UK's highest award for innovation in engineering and it recognized PSE’s highly innovative modelling software gPROMS, which to date remains “the leading modelling product within the chemical industry”. Previous winners of this prestigious award, include IBM, Rolls Royce and BP International.
Examples of the work carried out in the centre can be found in the CPSE Annual Reports.
Recent examples include the optimal selection of reaction media using quantum mechanical calculation, the dynamic modelling and control of multi-stage flash desalination plant, the development of an advanced system for sequential multicolumn chromatography and multi-scale modelling to optimise the control of pressure swing adsorption processes.
Explicit /multiparametric modelling has recently been applied to manage the performance items as diverse as of unmanned air vehicles and fuel cell systems and CPSE’s wide area measurement system has grown into a major process automation activity.
CPSE has a successful biological systems engineering programme which focuses on the application of model based tools for the analysis and optimisation of bacterial and mammalian cell culture systems. This has led to significant advances in synthetic biology and biomedical engineering.
At the other end of the size scale CPSE has made significant advances in modelling healthcare systems, biomass and bioethanol supply chains and vehicle emissions. Growing interest in energy systems has enabled CPSE to create a leading research programme in modelling and optimising urban energy systems, polygeneration, energy systems for buildings and bioenenergy conversion processes and distribution.
Since its inauguration, the Centre has included an Industrial Consortium to provide opportunities for member companies to become involved in the specification, development, validation and final commercial implementation of algorithms, software tools and methodologies derived from leading edge generic research performed in the Centre. Please click here for a complete list of benefits exclusive to our members.
