Signal processing/Data science

The performance of a catalyst support — whether alumina or zeolite — depends on the properties of its porous microstructure: porosity, specific surface area, and the connectivity of the solid network, which govern the access of reactants to active sites. Designing an optimal support thus amounts to solving an inverse problem, i.e., identifying the microstructure, and then the manufacturing parameters, that satisfy a set of property specifications.

One of the main challenges in computational fluid dynamics is to accurately represent physical phenomena at various scales of time and space. Furthermore, exact numerical resolution at every scale is very cost-intensive in terms of computation time. Obtaining reliable solutions therefore requires simulations performed on a coarse scale but using models capable of describing the effects of physics at a very fine scale.

To maximize energy production and streamline operations, operators are designing wind farms that incorporate an increasing number of turbines. However, under certain wind conditions, wind turbines frequently interact through what is known as the wake effect. The wake is created behind the rotor as it intercepts the wind's kinetic energy to convert it into electricity. Due to the conservation of energy, a zone of low wind speed develops, accompanied by increased turbulence.

Air pollution remains a major public health issue, particularly in large metropolitan areas, despite the gradual renewal of the vehicle fleet and the development of active mobility solutions, thanks to dedicated urban infrastructure. New European limit values for pollutant concentrations in the air, more closely aligned with WHO recommendations, will take effect in 2030. Local authorities therefore need tools capable of assessing pollution levels and sources in order to support pollution reduction scenarios.

Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable resource for which conversion into bioethanol is a promising avenue for producing alternative, low-carbon fuels. Converting this biomass requires a pretreatment step to break it down. However, this process generates compounds that can inhibit the action of enzymes used to hydrolyze cellulose into glucose, thereby reducing the efficiency of this reaction. In order to improve the profitability of such processes, these inhibitors need to be identified, but their presence in a highly complex environment composed of several hundred products is a real challenge.

When wind turbines are assembled on a wind farm, under certain wind conditions they may interact with each other through what is known as the wake effect. When a wind turbine captures the kinetic energy contained in the wind, due to the conservation of energy, the wind flow downstream experiences a decrease in speed and an increase in turbulence. As a result, wind turbines located in this wake see their electricity production fall significantly, while also undergoing increased mechanical fatigue. These wake effects cause annual production losses of as much as 20%.

[ DIGITALIZATION AND IA - 1/2 ] The digitalization of activities is, in many respects, a major step forward that IFPEN is committed to rolling out for the benefit of its R&I. It consists in integrating innovative digital technologies to improve the efficiency, precision and productivity of our activities. It also involves integrating promising applications in generative artificial intelligence (AI).

[ Process control and online analysis - 2/2 ] Plastics recycling is both a major environmental challenge and an emerging industrial sector for which IFPEN mobilizes its expertise and know-how in the field of hydrocarbon refining. From the point of view of recyclability, a significant feature of these new material flows is their high level of variability, both in terms of their composition (types of polymers, additives, mixed textiles, etc.) and their physical nature (multilayer plastics, reverse side/right side fabrics, etc.), and indeed sorting errors. It is therefore essential to develop continuous analyses in order to determine the quality of the flow to to be processed, based on the relevant properties of the materials contained.

[ DIGITALIZATION AND IA - 2/2 ] One of IFPEN's main areas of research concerns processes and catalysts for the production of bio-based fuels. This is reflected in a large number of experimental projects, the results of which generate knowledge that is then harnessed to develop models. However, this modeling requires the acquisition of large sets of experimental data, which are costly in terms of both time and resources.