Research Interests

Professor Hauan's research is in the area of computer-aided process design and analysis of complex chemical systems. An important part of the work is to investigate how qualitative insights may be combined with numerical studies in order to arrive at solutions that are more readily understood.

Feasibility of Reaction-Separation Processes
Our work aims at developing methods for conceptual analysis and design of multicomponent systems with strongly non-ideal physio-chemical behavior. Based on our theory of generalized difference points , a central subgoal is to rigorously predict the extreme behavior of all feasible designs with a minimum of system-specific information. Examples include reactive and azeotropic distillation, reactor network synthesis and extraction in two-phase aqueous systems.

Agents for Distributed, Asynchronous Process Design
This research area explores how to solve large and truly hard Engineering Design problems with unknown structure. The main idea is to combine problem-specific insights and existing algorithms with techniques from artificial intelligence, information management, numerical mathematics and a distributed computing architecture. The approach is multi-threaded and relies on a collective of collaborating algorithmic agents implemented on our computer cluster.

Microscale Chemical Synthesis and Sensing
Chemical microsystems may be viewed as control of nano-phenomena in micro-environments and use fabrication techniques from the areas of integrated circuits (IC) and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Our goal is to identify system level representations and modeling approaches for simulation and design of individual and cascaded devices involving multicomponent fluid flow and chemical reactions. Current interests include synthesis of Lab-on-a-Chip systems and design of MEMS-based acoustic wave sensor systems

Representative Publications

Warren W. Hoffmaster and Steinar Hauan. Using feasible regions to design and optimize reactive distillation columns with ideal VLE. AIChE J., 52(5):1744-1753, 2006.

Israel B Owusu and Steinar Hauan. Information Sharing in a Distributed Enterprise: Impact on Supply Chain Performance and Decision-making. In Computer-Aided Chemical Engineering, 21(B):2195-2200, 2006.

Michael J. Bartkovsky, Anna Liao, Gary K. Fedder, Todd M. Przybycien and Steinar Hauan. The effect of distributed mass loading on the frequency response of a MEMS mesh resonator. In Proceedings of IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference (EMBC 2006), paper ThEP 7.11, pp 1862-1865.

Warren R. Hoffmaster and Steinar Hauan. Difference points in extractive and reactive cascades. IV -- Feasible regions for multisection columns with kinetic reactions and side streams. Chem.Eng.Sci., 60(24):7075-7090, 2005.

John D. Siirola, Steinar Hauan and Arthur W. Westerberg. Computing pareto fronts using distributed agents. Comp.Chem.Engng., 29(1):113-126, 2004.

Anton J. Pfeiffer, Tamal Mukherjee and Steinar Hauan. Design and optimization of compact microscale electrophoretic separation systems. Ind.Eng.Chem.Res., 43(14):3539-3553, 2004.

Steinar Hauan, Amy R. Ciric, Arthur W. Westerberg and Kristian M. Lien. Difference points in extractive and reactive cascades. I - Basic properties and analysis. Chem.Eng.Sci. ,55(16):3145-3159, 2000.