Energy Matters

This paper brings a review of the alternative sources and forms of energy that can be utilized in order to achieve drastic improvements in the efficiency of chemical and biochemical processes (process intensification). Literature data on achievable intensification effects are provided. Also, some alternative ways of introducing energy in the chemical process equipment are presented. Although the process intensification potential of many of those alternative sources and forms of energy has already been proven in the laboratories, their application on the industrial scale still presents a formidable challenge for the chemical engineering community. In the paper the most important design and scale-up problems in those novel technologies are discussed and recommendations are given regarding the future research activities. To achieve radical progress in this area more research effort on the interface between the chemical engineering, chemistry, material science and applied physics is needed.