Publications

Sep, 2026

Journal

National and State-Level Energy Consumption and Cost Analysis of Drying Processes in the U.S. Chemical Industry

Thermal drying is among the most energy-intensive unit operations in chemical manufacturing, yet its contribution to energy use across the U.S. chemical sector has not been quantified at the unit-operation level. This study presents a national techno-economic assessment of thermal drying and molecular-sieve across the U.S. chemical sector. A thermodynamic model based on th…

Sep, 2026

Journal

Material efficiency technologies in the food and beverage industry

The U.S. food and beverage (F&B) sector is a major contributor to manufacturing gross domestic product and supports substantial employment and economic activity, while exerting significant pressures on land and water resources. At the same time, the industry faces growing expectations to balance its resource-intensive operations without compromising cost competitiveness. M…

Aug, 2026

Conference Paper

Enhancing Operational Performance and Productivity Benefits by Implementing Smart Manufacturing Technologies in Breweries

This paper uses case studies to demonstrate the potential of smart manufacturing (SM) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enhance operational performance and productivity in the industry. The analysis highlights benefits like cost reduction, production flexibility, shorter product times-to-market, energy/water efficiency and environmental impact reduction, and inc…

Aug, 2026

Journal

Alternative Thermal Technologies for Industrial Process Heat: Barriers and Opportunities

Energy scarcity and subsequent global fossil fuel market shocks have become a significant source of concern for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Though much of the electrical grid is becoming cleaner by the year, process heating in industry, which accounts for over half of all industrial energy usage and GHG emissions, is nearly entirely (>95%) supplied by natural gas…

Jul, 2026

Journal

Evaluating alternative steam generation pathways in the food industry

Steam generation in the food sector requires substantial energy and cost expenditures, requiring nearly half of its energy intake. We used life cycle assessment and life cycle cost assessment to investigate the cost and energy impacts of steam generating alternatives: NG, biomass and hydrogen boilers and grid-supplied and self-generated electric steam generation systems (e…

Jun, 2026

Journal

Cross-sectoral impact of emerging technologies on U.S. manufacturing resilience and competitiveness

Introducing new technologies in one energy-intensive industry can affect how other industries operate and stay resilient, yet these cross-sector interactions are often underappreciated in conventional technology roadmaps. In practice, industrial systems do not evolve in isolation. They are linked through shared upstream and downstream dependencies, such as electricity and…

Jun, 2026

Conference Paper

Prioritizing Transformative Energy Efficiency Technologies in the Pulp and Paper Sector Through Levelized Cost of Conserved Energy

This presentation explores how the U.S. pulp and paper sector can prioritize energy efficiency (EE) technologies using the Levelized Cost of Conserved Energy (LCCE) metric. As mills face market shifts and rising costs, technologies such as advanced drying, membrane concentration, waste heat recovery, and recovery boiler replacements offer potential savings but face economi…

Jun, 2026

Journal

A framework and calculator for evaluating the impacts of shelf life extension and other food loss and waste reduction technologies

Optimization of the food supply chain (FSC) depends on reducing food waste, especially at the consumer stage, where a substantial portion of food is not eaten, but instead disposed of via landfill, incineration, or in-sink disposals. One key strategy is to increase the time that consumers have before food goes bad or expires. This study developed a framework to assess the…

Mar, 2026

Conference Paper

Challenges in Tracking Waste Reduction Performance Improvement in Manufacturing Plants

The recently released Circularity Gap Report 2023 by Circle Economy Foundation found that the circularity score for the global economy is declining. This indicates that material extraction from virgin sources is climbing over earlier years. As per data released by US Geological Survey, material use in the US economy has increased exponentially with the expanding US economy…

Mar, 2026

Conference Paper

Role of Hydrogen as Fuel in Decarbonizing US Clinker Manufacturing for Cement Production: Costs and CO2 Emissions Reduction Potentials

As a low-carbon fuel, feedstock, and energy source, hydrogen is expected to play a vital role in the decarbonization of high-temperature process heat during the pyroprocessing steps of clinker production in cement manufacturing. However, to accurately assess its potential for reducing CO2 emissions and the associated costs in clinker production applications, a techno-econo…

Mar, 2026

ORNL Report

Bridging Practice and Andragogy: Evidence-Based Approaches for Manufacturing Workforce Trainers

Nov, 2025

Journal

Sustainability Perspectives of Integrated Pulp and Paper Biorefineries – A Systematic Critical Review

As the pulp and paper industry is impacted by changing product demand trends, an opportunity arises to utilize existing pulp and paper mills (PPMs) and byproduct biomass to produce a wide range of value-added products, i.e., by converting existing PPMs into integrated pulp and paper biorefineries (IPPBs), a form of industrial symbiosis. In addition to the conventional prod…