Research Interests
- Mathematical Modeling
- Applied Statistics
- Polymer Reaction Engineering
- Polymer Gel Dosimetry
- Polyethylene Reactor Modeling and Control
- Nylon Polymerization
- PEM Fuel Cell Modeling
Current and Recent Research Projects
Kim McAuley is working with Jim McLellan and with Jim Ramsay at McGill University to develop and assess novel spline-based techniques for estimating parameters in differential equation models. These approximate maximum likelihood techniques are particularly useful when the structure of the dynamic model is imperfect, or when the process is influenced by both measurement noise and dynamic disturbances that pass through the proccess.
Kim McAuley has developed fundamental models to relate reactor operating conditions to product properties in gas-phase ethylene copolymerization processes. Her research group has developed estimability analysis techniques to estimate kinetic model parameters in these complex models using product-property measurements. She is currently developing models to predict molecular weight distributions produced by multi-site catalysts in industrial polyethylene reactors. Kim McAuley and Jim McLellan are developing appropriate techniques to estimate the numerous kinetic parameters that appear in these models. They have also developed identifiability techniques to assess whether it is possible to estimate the complete set of unknown kinetic parameters in nonlinear differential algebraic equation DAE models of chemical reactors using the available measurements.
Kim McAuley and Thomas Harris are developing techniques for estimating parameters in simplified fundamental models when only limited data are available for parameter estimation.
Kim McAuley and John Schreiner of the Southeastern Ontario Cancer Centre have developed fundamental models of polymer gel dosimeters that are used for calibrating 3-D radiation dose distributions generated by cancer radiotherapy equipment. Experiments and models are being used to design improved polymer gel dosimeters that are safer to use and that will have improved accuracy.
In collaboration with DuPont Canada, Kim McAuley has developed dynamic mathematical models to describe the polymerization of nylon 66 in moving-bed solid-phase polymerization reactors. Her group has also performed experiments and developed kinetic models to gain a better understanding of polyamidation and thermal degradation reactions that occur during nylon polymerization in the melt phase.
Kim McAuley collaborates with Judit Puskas from University of Akron to develop kinetic models for living carbocationic styrene and butadiene polymerization.
Kim McAuley is modeling polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells in collaboration with professors Oosthuizen and Karan , and and with Steven Beale from the National Research Council. Recent models explore the effect of flow-field plate design on pressure drops in anode and cathode flow channels. Models are also aimed at predicting the accumulation of liquid water in the cathode catalyst layer and gas diffision layer. Kim McAuley is also modeling steam/methane reforming reactors used to produce hydrogen. This work is being conducted with the help of Brant Peppley, who is the Director of the Queen's/RMC Fuel Cell Research Centre.
Funding (2000-2007)
BP Chemicals, CAMM, CFI, Cybernetica, DuPont, Hatch, INEOS, Matrikon, MITACS, Praxair, NSERC (Discovery, CRD, IPS), OIT, Premier's Research Excellence Award, SAS, Xerox.
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