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Meet the Faculty

William A. Jacoby, Ph.D., P.E.

• Phone: 573-882-0456
• E-mail: JacobyW@missouri.edu
• Address: 236 Agricultural Engineering Building

Education

• B.S. University of Colorado, 1984, Chemical Engineering
• Ph.D. University of Colorado, 1993, Chemical Engineering

Research

• Biomass processing for energy, fuels and chemicals.

Research Summary

• Jacoby directs the Modular Biomass Process Development Laboratory focusing on upstream processing, thermochemical conversion, and downstream processing of biomass into energy fuels and chemicals. Upstream processing projects include innovative approaches to dewatering, and applications of fluid power for feeding three phases (solids, liquids and vapors) into a high-pressure, high-temperature environment. Conversion projects include catalyst-mediated biomass gasification and combustion in supercritical water, and applications of nanotechnology for biomass thermochemical conversion. Downstream processing projects include equilibrium phase separations of solids, liquids and vapors at high-pressure and high-temperature (including carbon sequestration) and hot gas clean up. The extraction of lipids from soybeans and other types of oil plants using supercritical fluids is also under investigation. In this context, an exploration of the microalgae-to-oil process has begun involving an exploration of photobioreactor design, harvesting, dewatering, extraction and transesterification. This work draws on past interests in photocatalysis and microalgal hydrogen production. A systems approach is also adopted during the development of a comprehensive biomass use model.

Teaching

• BIOL_ENG/CH_ENG 4315/7315 Introduction to Biochemical Engineering,
• BIOL_ENG/CH_ENG 4314/7314 Biochemical Engineering Operations
• BIOL_ENG/CH_ENG 4270/7270 Statistical Quality Control and Design of Experiments for Biological Engineers and Chemical Engineers
• CH_ENG 3261/3262 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics I and II
• CH_ENG 4361 Graduate Thermodynamics
• CH_ENG 8081 Responsible Conduct of Research:  An Interdisciplinary Approach (co-listed in Nursing), CH_ENG 7401:  Assessing Renewable Energy Technologies
• CH_ENG 4363 Chemical Reaction Engineering and Technology