Étienne bernier

PhD candidate
(Chemical Engineering Department - cole Polytechnique de Montral)
etienne.bernier@polymtl.ca

Expertise :

• Thermodynamics (exergy)
• Energy conversion technologies
• Process thermal integration
• General physics
  

Start: May 2005
Director: Réjean Samson
Co-director: François Maréchal

Research project:

Environmental Optimisation of a Chemical Engineering Process

Project summary:

The environmental optimisation of a process aims at a minimum life cycle environmental impact, for a given effort, without compromising other potential emission reductions that could be done elsewhere with the same effort. We propose a methodology specific to chemical engineering processes, based on three main tools: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Multi-objective Optimisation, and thermal process integration. LCA helps better estimate the real cost of local emissions abatement, considering off-site emissions and their own abatement potential.

The case study is a CO2 capture system in a natural gas power plant. Its environmental performance is improved by optimising the absorbent flow configuration, the absorber and stripper columns sizing, the heat exchangers, but also the upstream natural gas supply chain. A previously neglected option is to produce low-pressure steam from the excess heat from the absorbent following stripping.

This project also examines what thermodynamics can contribute to LCA methodology, but avoiding the elusive search for an “objective metric of intrinsic value”. Thermodynamics show that un-developed energy resources are practically infinite, not to be confused with the scarcity of the human talent necessary for their development. Thus, we question the pertinence of the politicised notion of energy depletion in LCA, which dilutes the importance of more tangible impacts.

Publications/presentations:

BERNIER, Etienne. 2004. Récupération d’oxygène entre un électrolyseur et une pile à combustible. 61p. Mémoire de maîtrise en physique, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

BERNIER, Etienne, HAMELIN, Jean, AGBOSSOU, Kodjo, BOSE, Tapan K. 2005. « Electric round-trip efficiency of hydrogen and oxygen-based energy storage ». International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 30:2. 105-111.

BERNIER, Etienne, HAMELIN, Jean, AGBOSSOU, Kodjo, BOSE, Tapan K. 2003. « Oxygen Recuperation in an Autonomous Renewable Energy System with Hydrogen Storage ». Hydrogen and Fuel Cells 2003 Conference and Trade Show, Vancouver.

BERNIER, E.et SAMSON, R. 2007. « Measuring Non-Renewable Resource Depletion: a Thermodynamic Approach ». 3rd Canadian Forum on the Life Cycle Management of Products and Services. Montréal.

BERNIER, E., SAMSON, R.et MARÉCHAL, F. 2008. « Multi-objective Design Optimization of a NGCC Power Plant with CO2 Capture Using Life Cycle Assessment Results ». ECOS 2008, Cracow-Gliwice, Poland. p. 1339-1346.

Career path:

• Ph.D., chemical engineering
  Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, 2009
  • Canada Graduate Scholarship (NSERC)
  • Bourse du ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, secteur Énergie (FQRNT)

• M.Sc., physics
  Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 2004

• B.Eng., engineering physics
  Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal, 2002

• Bronze medal at the 1997 International Physics Olympiad