Riju Saini, Ph.D.

Dr. Saini, Vice President of ChemicaLogic Corporation, consults for the chemical industry. Prior to establishing ChemicaLogic in 1995, Dr. Saini was a consultant with Arthur D. Little, Inc. for 4 years. He has worked on assignments to evaluate project feasibility, evaluate alternative technologies, select appropriate technologies for implementation, reduce environmental pollution, and improve process safety. He is also extensively involved in the fields of chemical process design, process development, process optimization, consequence analysis, risk analysis, and model and software development.

Dr. Saini has extensive experience with advanced database technologies, data modeling and software project management, interfacing databases to client-side technologies using custom developed solutions and standard off-the-shelf technologies. He has used this experience in helping an EDA software manufacturer develop their next generation client-server application for clients in semi-conductor and flat panel display manufacturing industries. Using a small team of 4 developers, a fully functional yield analysis application was developed in within 4 months. This application uses several advanced technologies in both the server and client sides. For the server side, the complete data management including the data translators, loaders and business logic are implemented to run within the database itself providing high performance, stability and scalability. A thin modular client was developed using object-oriented methodologies for access, analysis and presentation the data. Alternate client interfaces, such as spreadsheets or the web browser can easily be integrated as most of the data selection and analysis logic is implemented within the database layer.

In support of a DOE sponsored program to develop multi-fuel reformer technologies for fuel cell powered vehicles, Dr. Saini assessed the technological and economic feasibility of on-board hydrogen generation using different reforming technologies including steam reforming, autothermal reforming and non-catalytic partial oxidation. He conducted the system development and integration of proton exchange membrane (PEM) and phosphoric acid (PAFC) fuel cells with each of these reforming technologies. Based on this study, a prototype multi-fuel reformer is being tested at Arthur D. Little. This reformer is capable of reforming several strategic fuels, including natural gas, methanol, and ethanol.

For a producer of ammonium nitrate concerned with emissions of ammonium nitrate fumes from prilling towers, Dr. Saini developed a computer model to characterize the performance of the prilling tower. The computer model, which includes a mathematical description of the prill formation mechanism, was used to understand the impact of process conditions on ammonium nitrate fume generation. This study helped the client reduce emissions and also improve the prilling operation.

Dr. Saini developed a global demand forecasting model for soda ash, caustic soda, and chlorine. The model is used to understand market dynamics and provide a basis for demand forecast. The model contains a comprehensive production and trade database for each of the chemicals and for essentially every country in the world.

For a consortium of chemical and transportation companies interested in reducing the risks associated with the transportation of hazardous chemicals by rail, Dr. Saini developed a comprehensive risk quantification model. The model is currently being used by the chemical producers and the transportation industry to evaluate risk reduction options.

Dr. Saini worked with a carbon black producer to modify the system designs to improve product morphology and the operational reliability of the mixer, dryer, and pellet conveyor equipment. This work involved investigating several alternative process modifications and implementation and testing of the selected process modifications.

Before joining Arthur D. Little in 1990, Dr. Saini spent four years at Northeastern University pursuing his Masters and Doctorate degrees in Chemical Engineering, during which he also taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Advanced Numerical Methods, and Computer Chemical Process Simulation using ASPEN-PLUS, PROCESS, and FLOWTRAN.

Dr. Saini received his Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering from the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, India, his Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from Northeastern University, Boston. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the American Chemical Society (ACS). Dr. Saini has published and presented several papers, a few of which are given below.

Publications and Presentations:

Complex Chemical Equilibria, R. Saini, paper presented at the DIERS User Group Meeting, San Francisco, May 1994.

Fuel Reformer Technologies for Fuel Cell Vehicles, R. Saini and G. C. Cheng, paper presented at the AIChE annual meeting, St. Louis, 1993.

Integration of Fuel Processors and Fuel Cells, R. Saini and G. C. Cheng, paper presented at NESEA's Fuel Cells and Transportation Workshop, Boston, 1993.

A Model for the Dispersion of Two-Phase Flashing Multicomponent Jets, G. A. Melhem and R. Saini, Proceedings of Process Plant Safety Symposium, Houston, 1992.

A Modified Cubic Equation of State with Binary Parameters Predicted from a Group Contribution Method, R. Saini, G. A. Melhem, and B. M. Goodwin, paper presented at the 2nd International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, Boston, 1991.

On the Application of Concentration Dependent Mixing Rules to Systems Containing Large Number of Compounds, G. A. Melhem, R. Saini, C. Leibovici, Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, Boston, 1991.

A Modified Peng-Robinson Equation of State, G. A. Melhem, R. Saini, and B. M. Goodwin, Fluid Phase Equilibria, 47, 1989.

Computation of Complex Equilibria by Direct Minimization of the Gibbs Free Energy, R. Saini, G. A. Melhem, and B. M. Goodwin, paper presented at the AIChE spring national meeting, Houston, 1989.

Optimized Interaction Parameters for the Peng-Robinson Equation of State, G. A. Melhem, R. Saini, B. M. Goodwin, paper presented at the AIChE spring national meeting, New Orleans, 1988.