Michael Behrens Email & Phone Number

Andover, Massachusetts

Tokyo, Japan

Designed (with Autodesk Inventor) and built a lab-scale pyrolysis unit operation and subsequent condensation for producing bio-products from biomass. Conducted extensive design of experiment (DOE) and center point analysis to determine process inputs’ effects on the bio-products yield and quality with novel catalysts. Analyzed the bio-products and catalysts with GC-MS, H-NMR, FTIR, XRD, SEM, UV/Vis and others.Published papers based-off research results in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.

Tokyo, Japan

Researched and developed new viscometer prototype by collecting data with excel and analyzing the data with custom-made macros. Successfully created calibration curves demonstrating the potential of this prototype.Presented research results in Japanese and English to executives of the company.

Greater Denver Area

Conducted heat and mass transfer calculations, unit operations sizing and costing, mass and energy balances and other standard chemical and biological engineering calculations for lab scale-up projects and multi-million dollar pilot plants ranging from 100mL to 5000L depending upon client’s needs.P&ID generation and markup, version control, equipment sizing and costing, design calculations, material selection, and construction of bio-processing pilot plant for bio-oil extraction.Management and operation of hydrolysis in a pressurized, high-temperature autoclave under acidic conditions and subsequent high-temperature rotating kiln pyrolysis processes on biomass for bio-fuel production and characterization.Assisted with design and construction of large-scale column leach of copper ore using thermophilic bacteria. Analyzed the safety of an oil sands separation pilot plant in an explosion proof Class I, Division 2 location using failure mode effect analysis (FMEA) and created batch sheets, SOPs, and assisted with commission of the plant resulting in 0 injuries and successful separation of oil sands.Experience with complex unit operations including: high-temperature fluidized beds, solidification of radioactive waste, heterogeneous catalysts reactors, liquid/liquid separations, liquid/solid separations, gas and liquid chromatography, evaporation units, incipient wetness impregnation, acid and base extraction, oligomerization reaction operations, oil processing, and distillation.

Simulated Electrochemical Hydrogen Extraction and Separation System & Conventional Thermochemical Biomass to Hydrogen Application showing the feasibility of producing 99.9999% purified hydrogen. Proved economic feasibility of process with extensive cash flow analysis and sensitivity analysis: final selling price, $5 per kilogram of hydrogen.Authored 166 page design report about the processing facility using Microsoft Word, Excel, MATLAB, and Aspen HYSYS, and Aspen Plus with team

• Responsible for 40 students in a creative technology class.• Led discussions for in-class questions.• Handled numerous questions and evaluated student performance.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Engineering

Master Of Engineering (M.Eng.), Chemical And Biological Engineer