CJCE August Issue

Let’s dive into the August issue of CJCE for some exciting new research in chemical engineering.

This month’s editor’s choice article features research on the application of machine learning to clinical decision-making in medicine. “Haemoglobin response modelling under erythropoietin treatment: Physiological model-informed machine learning method,” written by Zhongyu Zhang and Zukui Li, “examines the use of physics-informed neural networks (PINN) for creating a model of haemoglobin (Hgb) response in patients with renal anemia during erythropoietin (EPO) treatment.” Even better, the study concludes that “this approach is effective in estimating individualized models for Hgb response and can provide a basis for developing optimal treatment plans in clinical practice.”

Machine learning also stars in August’s first issue highlight, “Machine learning modelling and evaluation of jet fires from natural gas processing, storage, and transport.” This article tackles the dangerous problem of jet fires in the energy sector in an open access article that everyone can read. According to the authors, jet fires are one of the “catastrophic occurrences that frequently have a cascade effect on the process industries,” which means that finding a way to predict the properties of potential jet flame incidents is a vital safety consideration. In this article, “fuel density, mass flow rates, dimensionless radiation, and jet flame geometry properties have all been employed as input and output variables. The [machine learning] approach has been recognized in the present research as a potentially valuable way to accurately predict the geometrical and radiation properties of jet flames to prevent catastrophes in process industries.”

The second issue highlight in August takes a detour into the scintillating world of sintering with “Data-driven modelling methods in sintering process: Current research status and perspectives.” “The sintering process has enormous economic value and environmental protection significance for iron and steel enterprises.” The authors of this review article, Yan et al., undertake the task of conducting “a comprehensive overview and prospects on data-driven modelling methods for intelligent sintering.” Be sure to check out this open access article, freely available to everyone, to learn about the “challenges and promising modelling methods” in intelligent sintering.

The final issue highlight features research towards a greener future. In “Carbon dioxide reduction mechanism via single-atom nickel supported on graphitic carbon nitride,” the authors explore the “photocatalytic reduction of CO₂” using a single-atom nickel catalyst. In fact, they investigate in detail “the key step in the photocatalytic reduction of CO₂, that is the breaking of the first C-O bond,” and find that “the interaction of surface hydrogen and nickel with an oxygen atom in CO₂ is the key to lowering the reaction barrier.”

Another exciting inclusion in the August issue is the kick-off editorial for the Conversations in Chemical Engineering Special Series. CJCE Editor-in-Chief, João B. P. Soares, makes a rousing argument for plain language in scientific research articles and concludes with the exciting prospect that this special series will publish articles that are not only scientifically sound and important, but “also pleasant to read.” The first article in this series is set to publish in the September issue of CJCE, and we can hardly wait. In the words of Soares, “scientific writing should inspire new scientists and engineers, not intimidate them.”