The paper has been selected as ACS Editor’s Choice which offers read access to new research of high importance to the global scientific community selected by a specialized panel.
The paper is based on the answers to a questionnaire that was shared with numerous companies having a broad profile (from oil to fine chemicals, gas and power, and software developers).
All the received answers (37) are included in the paper where the following topics are addressed: the challenges and evolution in areas related to experimental data, models standardization and implementation, process simulation and product design, big data, ML/AI, digital twins and, last but not least, education and its needs for the future.
The topics are highlighted in some of the participants answers:
“We need to vulgarize a bit more at least the basic thermodynamic concepts and numerical methods […] this is a key way to increase the visibility of the thermodynamic community […]. Since the thermodynamic community have structured databases […] (this) can be highly helpful in the challenging development of “digital twins” of actual chemical and bio-chemical plants”.
“In the modern age it becomes more and more important to make use of simple tools”
“Lack of data to fit the parameters of the e-NRTL model [...]. For our systems, measurements are difficult due to radioactivity and/or toxicity of some compounds.”
The purpose of the paper is to present the “opinion of the industry”, illustrate the importance of applied thermodynamics, identify the most relevant aspects of thermodynamics for industry, and see the evolution of the field in the past 10 years. The authors hope that the paper will revitalize the interest in thermodynamics, help identify and solve current challenges in the field through discussions and collaborations between academia and industry.
If you are interested to learn more about the industry needs within the thermodynamics and transport properties, you can access the paper here or via the CERE consortium members website.