Vinod Venkatakrishnan

Graduate Research Assistant

Co-advised by Professors Fabio Ribeiro and W. Nicholas Delgass

Professional Networks

Background

Education

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) - Madras, B. Tech. Chemical Engineering (2008)
Purdue University, Ph.D. Chemical Engineering (2009 - 2014, expected)

Thesis: Fast-hydropyrolysis and catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) for biofuel production.

Experience

Shell Global Solutions, Bangalore, India (July 2008 - July 2009)

Awards

AIChE Catalysis and Reaction Engineering (CRE) Division Travel Award (2013)
2nd Place, Oral Presentation, Purdue Chemical Engineering Graduate Research (GSO) Symposium (2013)
Outstanding Service and Scholarship Award, Purdue University College of Engineering (2012)
Excellence for Undergraduate Teaching Award, Purdue University School of Chemical Engineering (2012)
Eastman Summer Graduate Fellowship, Purdue University School of Chemical Engineering (2011)
Travel Awards, Purdue University School of Chemical Engineering (2011 and 2013)
Certificate of Recognition, Purdue Graduate Student Government (2010 and 2011)

Project Description

My research work involves understanding and demonstrating H₂Bioil process based on fast-hydropyrolysis and catalytic hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) for the production of liquid fuels from biomass. My work involves design, screening and building lab-scale reactors for accomplishing these challenging experiments at high temperature (up to 650 °C) and high pressures (up to 50 bars) of H₂. We have also developed liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques for quantitative analysis of the liquid products from pyrolysis of cellulose, a biomass model compound. Our work has shown that in the absence of a HDO catalyst, high-pressures of H₂ do not play a significant role in deoxygenation. Currently, we are testing HDO catalysts for selective C-O bond scission to produce complete hydrocarbons from cellulose and real biomass feedstocks such as poplar, corn stover etc. We are also working with collaborators, as part of C3Bio (Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels), to understand the effect of genetic transformations of biomass on the product yields from the H₂Bioil process.

Publications and Presentations

Journal Articles

V. K. Venkatakrishnan, J. C. Degenstein, A. D. Smeltz, W. N. Delgass, R. Agrawal, F. H. Ribeiro, High-Pressure Fast-Pyrolysis, Fast-Hydropyrolysis and Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Cellulose: Production of Liquid Fuel from Biomass, Green Chemistry 16 (2014) 792-802.
J. Maddala, K. Sambath, V. K. Venkatakrishnan, S. Ramanathan, Identification of Reaction Mechanism for Anodic Dissolution of Metals using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, J. Electroanal. Chem. 638 (2010) 183-188.
Y. N. Prasad, V. K. Venkatakrishnan, S. Ramanathan, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopic Studies of Copper Dissolution in Arginine Hydrogen Peroxide Solutions, J. Solid-State Electrochem. 13(9) (2009) 1351-1359.

Select Conference Presentations

V. K. Venkatakrishnan, J. Degenstein, W. N. Delgass, R. Agrawal, F. H. Ribeiro, Fast-Hydropyrolysis and Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation for Biomass Conversion to Liquid Fuel, ACS National Meeting, Sept 2013, Indianapolis, IN, USA and AIChE Annual Meeting, Nov 2013, San Francisco, CA, USA (Oral)
V. K. Venkatakrishnan, A. Smeltz, S. Semikolenov, F. H. Ribeiro, W. N. Delgass, R. Agrawal, High-Pressure Fast-Pyrolysis and Fast-Hydropyrolysis for Conversion of Biomass to Liquid Fuel, AIChE Annual Meeting, Oct 2011, Minneapolis, MN, USA (Oral)
V. K. Venkatakrishnan, J. Degenstein, W. N. Delgass, F. H. Ribeiro, R. Agrawal, “Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation of Fast-Hydropyrolysis Vapors for Production of Liquid Fuels from Biomass”, 23rd North American Catalysis Society Meeting, Jun 2013, Louisville, KY, USA and Catalysis Club of Chicago Spring Symposium, May 2013, Naperville, IL, USA (Posters)