ENG ROM 
Computer Aided Process Engineering Research Centre
Name of the centre Computer Aided Process Engineering Research Centre (CAPERC)
Legal status The Research Centre is deploying its activities within Babeş-Bolyai University as Excellence Research Center
Foundation Accreditation given by the National Council of Scientific Research for Higher Education, in 2001 and then in 2006, Research Centre of Excellence awarded by Babeș-Bolyai University in 2016, 2020
Director Prof.Eng. Vasile-Mircea CRISTEA
Scientific Council Prof.Eng. Călin-Cristian CORMOȘ (Vice-director)
Assoc.Prof.Eng. IMRE-LUCACI Árpád
Assoc.Prof.Eng. Simion DRĂGAN
Address Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
11 Arany Janos Street, 400028 Cluj-Napoca
tel: +40-264-593833 ext. 5729, 5762
fax: +40-264-590818
web: https://www.chem.ubbcluj.ro/romana/ANEX/inginerie/centre/ccdicac/ccdicac_2020_eng.html
e-mail: mircea.cristea@ubbcluj.ro, (calin.cormos@ubbcluj.ro)
Members of the research centre
No. Name Scientific title/equivalent
1 Cristea Mircea-Vasile Professor/Scientific researcher I
2 Cormoş Călin-Cristian Professor/Scientific researcher I
3 Agachi Paul-Şerban Professor/Scientific researcher I
4 Cormoș Ana-Maria Professor/Scientific researcher I
5 Imre-Lucaci Árpád Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
6 Drăgan Simion Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
7 Miclăuș Adina Lucreția Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
8 Barabas Réka Profesor/Scientific researcher I
9 Csavdari Alexandra Ana Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
10 Indolean Cerasella Liliana Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
11 Petrescu Letiția Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
12 Fogarasi Szabolcs Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
13 Bizo Liliana Antonela Assoc.Prof./Scientific researcher II
14 Burcă Silvia Lecturer/Scientific researcher III
15 Timiș Cristina Elisabeta Lecturer/Scientific researcher III
16 Mereu Raluca Anca Lecturer/Scientific researcher III
17 Sandu Vlad-Cristian Assistant Prof./Scientific researcher III
18 Mihály Norbert-Botond Assistant Prof./Scientific researcher III
19 Galusnyak Stefan-Cristian Assistant Prof./Scientific researcher III
20 Ilea Flavia-Maria PhD Student/Research assistant
21 Borota Mihaela PhD Student/Research assistant
22 Selejan Alessandra-Diana PhD Student/Research assistant
23 Bozonc Alexandru-Constantin PhD Student/Research assistant
24 Bathori Arthur Maximilian PhD Student/Research assistant
The Organizing Structure of the Center
Mission and Research Directions The mission of the CAPERC research unit is to develop applied and fundamental research activities, associated to human resources formation, as an integrated part of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics STEM system, by:
  • Increasing the role of the applied scientific research in the sustainable development of chemical (process) engineering and the multidisciplinary scientific research at Babes-Bolyai University, using computer aided tools;
  • Development of inter and transdisciplinary research on the background of capitalizing the experience of researchers in the field of chemical engineering, by extrapolation but also by reciprocal exchange with other research fields (chemistry, energy engineering, environmental engineering, materials engineering, bioengineering, computer science);
  • Development of human resources by synergistically combining the skills of the experienced elite researchers with the innovation potential of young researchers;
  • Increasing the competitiveness of the CAPERC research results on the market of chemical and IT high technology services and products;
  • Expanding the area of collaborations with traditional industrial partners (eg. Emerson, Rompetrol, Azomures, Saint Gobain) and identifying new ones, to intensify technology transfer;
  • Promoting collaborations in economic and social environments to increase the capacity to attract national and international sources of research funding;
  • Valorization of research results through STEM products and technologies, both to economic units and in the social field or with bio-medical applicability.
  • Strengthening the collaboration connections with the traditional industrial partners (such as EMERSON, ROMPETROL, SAINT GOBAIN) and identification of new ones (enabling access to the national and international founding sources).
The research center carries out activities of modeling, simulation, automation, optimization and intensification of chemical or related processes, for applications aimed at the following directions of research, development and innovation:
  • Intensification of mass, heat and momentum transfer processes in chemical engineering;
  • Efficient and environmentally friendly integration of (bio)chemical reaction engineering in chemical processes;
  • Development of energy conversion systems, expansion of renewable energy sources but also reconsideration of clean technologies based on fossil fuels;
  • Development of carbon dioxide capture, storage and usage technologies;
  • Environmental protection both by preventing pollution and by purifying the air and treating the water, assessing the risk and safety of industrial systems;
  • Development of applications for products that incorporate nanomaterials and biomaterials;
  • Design and implementation of classic and advanced computer-assisted automatic control systems for chemical processes;
  • Integration of artificial intelligence tools (artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, genetic algorithms) and processing information by data mining, for chemical processes intensification and for development of advanced management and decision-making systems;
  • Applications and technological transfer of research results in chemical process engineering, environmental protection, food engineering, materials engineering, bioengineering and medicine;
  • Development of modern methods and tools for e-learning, distance education and implementation of the remote-laboratory or virtual reality concepts, based on the paradigm of digital twin and IoT systems.
Research Infrastructure The research infrastructure of the Center is diverse and complex, being presented in association with the two fundamental components of research, i.e. engineering and IT, which are cooperatively integrated through the Centre's mission. It consists of experimental equipment and software programming environments.

The experimental equipment is grouped physically and by the field of applications in laboratory research subunits, as follows:
  • Laboratory for the Engineering of (Bio)chemical Reactors and Energy Conversion Systems,
    which includes Installation for the study of energy conversion systems and CO2 capture (rUBB), Reactor Kit, Absorption Kit (Gas Absorption Column UOP 7), Bioreactor Tryton System volume 2L, Steady state catalytic reactor, Steady state reactor for the evaluation of gaseous and liquid fuels conversion in the chemical process cycle, Circulating fluidized bed reactor system for CO2 capture using solid adsorbent materials, online gas analyzer, gas chromatograph, conductometers;
  • Laboratory for Automation and Control of Chemical Processes (ERIS),
    with: 5 pilot installations with continuous and discontinuous reactors equipped with cooling-heating and stirring system; reactant tanks; gas containers, hydraulic networks; Pilot distillation plant, Dn 50, with measurement and regulation instrumentation with monitoring and control using the computer; Pilot for Process Monitoring and Control System, (PCT 23MkII-A), Measurement and control instrumentation: temperature, pressure, pH, flow, level transducers; electronic regulators REX F400, recorders, integrators, pneumatic actuators, control valves; Computers connected to the pilot plants;
  • Process Intensification Laboratory (ERIS),
    Liquid-Vapor Equilibrium Determination System, Spray Dryer Atomizer-Dryer, JAR TEST Pressure Filtration Module, BOKELA Filtratest, Bi and Three Phase Fluidization Pilot Installations, Automatic Acid-Base Titrator;
  • Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Materials Science (ERIS),
    Computer-coupled UV-VIS Spectrophotometer V-530, oven, analytical balances, WPS 600 balance, distiller, stirrers, conductometers, thermostat, multimeters, glassware and laboratory utensils, Nanoparticle analyzer SALD-7101, Shimadzu B-290 Mini Dryer Spray Dryer, Nabertherm LHT04/16 High Temperature Oven;
  • Laborator EMESON Automation Solutions,
    comprising a pilot installation equipped with monitoring, measurement and control instrumentation, integrated into the Delta-V automation system


The programming software environments used for modeling, simulation and development of computer applications, including: Visual C ++, Visual Basic, Matlab & Simulink, LabView, ChemCad, Aspen-HYSYS, Gabi6, ThermoFlex, COMSOL, WEST+, AVEVA and the hardware infrastructure consists of 35 computer systems, process-computer communication interfaces, Zmorph VX Full Set 3D printer.
Services Offered by the Research Centre The Research Centre offers the following services:
  • Consultancy and technical assistance for the design and the efficiency increase of the chemical plants’ operation and their compliance with the principles of sustainable development, based on specific methods to intensify the transfer of mass, heat or momentum;
  • Development of applications based on the use of computer-aided tools for modeling, simulation, optimization and automatic control for laboratory, pilot and industrial processes and plants, with applications in chemistry and chemical, energy, environmental, materials and bio engineering;
  • Elaboration of studies on poly-generation of energy vectors with CO2 capture and storage, based on the processes of co-gasification of coal and use of renewable energy sources or wastes;
  • Consultancy and technical assistance in the fields of measurement techniques, process monitoring, artificial intelligence applications (artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, genetic algorithms), data mining and advanced control systems;
  • Development of computer modeling and simulation products with applications in the fields of food, medicine and pharmacy;
  • Consultancy and technical support for the production of oxide materials and biomaterials based on hydroxyapatite;
  • Development of applications for the implementation of remote laboratory and virtual reality concepts, as well as digital twin and IoT systems.
Grants and Projects, National and International 2020-2024 (selection) International
  • CONVERGE - Carbon valorisation in energy-efficient green fuels, Horizon 2020, Nr. 818135, 2018-2022.
  • Hybrid Solvent – Membrane for post-combustion CO2 capture and utilization, RO-NO-2019-0379, contract no.: RO-NO-2019-0379, 2020-2023.
  • Techno-economic assessment of the chemical looping-based oxi-dative dehydrogenation of ethane, ETH Zurich, BFE SI/501590-01, contract no.: BFE SI/501590-01, 2020-2022.
  • Renewable Energy based seasonal Storage Technology in Order to Rise Economic and environmental sustainability of DHC, RESTORE, H2020, 2021-2025.
  • Calcium looping to capture CO2 from industrial processes by 2030, H2020, 101075416, contract no.: 101075416, 2022-2026.
National
  • Dezvoltarea unui proces inovativ și ecologic pentru recuperarea cuprului şi a fracțiilor nemetalice din deșeuri de plăci de circuite imprimate fără componente electronice, Proiect de cercetare postdoctorală, Proiect PN-III-P1-1.1-PD-2016-0139, contract 57/2018, 2018-2020.
  • Matrici inteligente personalizate pentru regenerarea tisulară și controlul metainflamației; Proiect experimental demonstrativ, Proiect experimental demonstrativ, PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-3664, contract nr. 348PED ⁄2020, 2020-2021.
  • Validarea tehnologiei inovative de calcium looping pentru decarbonizarea proceselor industriale mari consumatoare de energie primara de origine fosila, PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-0181, nr. contract: PN-III-P2-2.1-PED-2019-0181, 2020-2022.
  • Carbon valorisation in energy efficient green fuels (Valorificarea Carbonului pentru Producerea Combustibililor Ecologici, Energetic Eficienți), PN-III-P3-3.6-H2020-2020-0058, 2020-2022.
  • Integrarea metodelor de intensificare a proceselor cu strategii de reglare avansată pentru îmbunătățirea performanțelor sistemelor de captare CO2, PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-0632, nr. contract: 0632, 2021-2023.
  • Sisteme termo-chimice avansate pentru aplicații flexibile de producere si stocare a energiei cu emisii reduse de dioxid de carbon, PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-0032, nr. contract: 179, 2021-2023.
  • Reciclarea bateriilor Li-ion uzate și a panourilor fotovoltaice scoase din uz: De la dezvoltarea proceselor de recuperare a metalelor până la implementarea unui START-up, COFUND-LEAP-RE-RESTART, Nr contract: 291, 2022-2025.
Publications & Patents
2020-2024 (selection)
  • C.C. Cormos, M. Dragan, L. Petrescu, A.M. Cormos, S. Dragan, A.M. Bathori, S.C. Galusnyak, Synthetic natural gas (SNG) production by biomass gasification with CO2 capture: Techno-economic and life cycle analysis (LCA), Energy, 312, 133507, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.133507.
  • F.M. Ilea, C.C. Cormos, S. Dragan, A.M. Cormos, Techno-economic implications of three phase fluidized bed absorption column applied to power generation for an intensified carbon capture process, Energy Conversion and Management, 315, 118790, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2024.118790.
  • A.D. Selejan, H. Lisei, A.M. Cormos, S. Dragan, C.C. Cormos, Development of a multi-scale mathematical model for green hydrogen production via biogas steam reforming process, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 52, Part D, 469-484, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.07.057.
  • M. Borota, E.C. Timiș, M.G. Hutchins, V.M. Cristea, M. Bowes, J. Miller, Hydrodynamics and phosphorus loading in an urbanized river channel influences response to future managed change: insights from advection-dispersion modelling, Science of the Total Environment, 171958, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171958.
  • F.M. Ilea, A.M. Cormos, V.M. Cristea, C.C. Cormos, Enhancing the post-combustion carbon dioxide carbon capture plant performance by setpoints optimization of the decentralized multi-loop and cascade control system, Energy, 275, 127490, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.127490.
  • N.B. Mihály, A.V. Luca, M. Várhelyi, V.M. Cristea, Improvement of air flowrate distribution in the nitrification reactor of the wastewater treatment plant by effluent quality, energy and greenhouse gas emissions optimization via artificial neural networks models, Journal of Water Process Engineering, 103935, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.103935.
  • F.M. Ilea, A.M. Cormos, S. Dragan, C.C. Cormos, Assessment of turbulent contact absorber hydrodynamics with application in carbon capture, Chemical Engineering Journal, 449, 137674, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2022.137674.
  • R. Barabás, N.-I. Farkas, C.L. Nagy, O. Cadar, C. Moisa, L. Bizo, Adsorption and desorption behavior of natural and synthetic active compounds on hydroxyapatite-based nanocomposites, Ceramics International, 47, (6), 8584-8592, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2020.11.226.
  • L. Petrescu Letitia, S. Burca Silvia, M. Fermeglia, A. Mio, C.C. Cormos, Process simulation coupled with LCA for the evaluation of liquid - liquid extraction processes of phenol from aqueous streams, Journal of Water Process Engineering, 102077, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2021.102077.
  • A.M. Cormos, V.C. Sandu, C.C. Cormos, Assessment of main energy integration elements for decarbonized gasification plants based on thermo-chemical looping cycles, Journal of Cleaner Production, 259, 120834, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.120834.
  • D.A. Chisalita, L. Petrescu, C.C. Cormos, Environmental evaluation of European ammonia production considering various hydrogen supply chains, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 130, 109964, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2020.109964.
  • P.S. Agachi, M.V. Cristea, A.A. Csavdari, B. Szilagyi, Advanced Process Engineering Control, Publisher Walter De Gruyter GmbH, Berlin, ISBN: 978-3-11-078972-0, 3110789728, 978-3110789720, 426 pag., 2023, (Revised edition, in 1179 libraries, according to WorldCat).
  • Dragan S., Miclaus V., Miclaus A.L. Biocompozit pe baza de acizi humici, polipeptide si aminoacizi, component al ingrasamintelor NPK si procedeu de obtinere, Brevet: RO133500 B1, 2024.
last modification: november 2024