Dr. Kishore K. Mohanty
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Director, Institute for Improved Oil Recovery

Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
University of Houston
4800 Calhoun Ave.
Houston, TX 77204-4004
Office Location: S231
Telephone: (713) 743-4331
Fax: (713) 743-4323
E-mail: mohanty "at-sign" uh "dot" edu

EDUCATION

— Bachelor's Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (1976)
— Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota (1981)

Work Experience

— Atlantic Richfield Co. (1981 - 1991)
— Naval Research Laboratory (1997)

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Dr. Mohanty's research focuses on transport of simple and complex fluids in complex microstructured materials for applications in energy, environment and biotechnology. Many naturally occurring materials such as sandstones, carbonates, aquifers, human bones and tissues are microstructured. Many fluids used in these systems are nanostructured. This research is aimed at imaging these structures, understanding the physics of transport, relating the microstructures to transport coefficients and developing new materials for enhanced targeted transport.

› Transport in Microstructured Media
Microscopy, microtomography, CT scanning, and NMR are used to image microporous materials and the transport within such materials. Lattice-Boltzmann method, Navier-Stokes solver and network algorithms are being developed to model transport in these media.

Microtomographic picture of the pore space inside sandstone

› Improved Oil Recovery
Oil extraction by miscible flooding with supercritical fluids is studied. The interaction between flow and phase behavior is being probed. Numerical techniques are being developed for compositional scale-up.

› Colloids and Complex Fluids
Fluids containing surfactants and polymers are being developed for stable foams, low tension micellar solutions and micelle-enhanced separation processes. Kinetics of hydrate dissociation is being studied for potential production of natural gas from subsea hydrates.

› Functional Biomaterials
Materials are being developed for controlled and targeted drug delivery. The relation between the molecular interaction, material nanostructure and transport/interfacial properties are being probed.

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Honors & Activities

— Distinguished Member Award, Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2007.
— Outstanding Review Chair Award, SPE Journal Editorial Board, 2006.
— W. T. Kittinger Outstanding Teacher Award, Cullen College of Engineering, 2004-2005.
— Sigma Xi Faculty Research Award, University of Houston, 2004.
— Editor, SPE Journal

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Courses Taught

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Recent PUBLICATIONS

1. Adibhatla, B., & Mohanty, K. K., “Parametric Analysis of Surfactant-aided Imbibition in Fractured Carbonates,” J. Coll. Interf. Sci. (2007)
2. Navarro, D., Li, S., Liu, R.C. & Mohanty, K.K., “Invasion Effects on Time-Lapsed Array Induction Logs,” Proceedings of SPWLA 48th Annual Logging Symposium, Austin, TX, June 3-6, 2007
3. Adibhatla, B., & Mohanty, K. K., “Oil Recovery from Fractured Carbonates by Surfactant-Aided Gravity Drainage: Laboratory Experiments and Mechanistic Simulations,”accepted to SPEREE (2007)
4. Gupta, R., & Mohanty, K. K., “Temperature Effects on Surfactant-Aided Imbibition into Fractured Carbonates,” SPE 110204, Proceedings of SPE ATCE, Anaheim, CA, Nov. 11-14, 2007.
5. Tripathi, I., & Mohanty, K. K., “Flow Instability Associated with Wettability Alteration,” SPE 110202, Proceedings of SPE ATCE, Anaheim, CA, Nov. 11-14, 2007.
6. Adibhatla, B. & Mohanty, K. K., “Simulation of Surfactant-Aided Gravity Drainage in Fractured Carbonates,” SPE 106161, Proceedings of SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium, Feb. 26-28, 2007.
7. Sun, X. & Mohanty, K. K., “Kinetic Simulation of Methane Hydrate Formation and Dissociation in Porous Media,” Chem. Eng. Sci., 61, 3476-3495 (2006).
8. Adibhatla, B., Mohanty, K. K., Berger, P. & Lee, C. “Effect of Surfactants on Wettability of Near-Wellbore Regions of Gas Reservoirs,” J. Pet. Sci. Eng., 52, 227-236 (2006).
9. Mohanty, K. K. & Caneba, G., “Enhanced Oil Recovery,” page 881-890, in Encyclopedia of Chemical Processes, Edited by Sunggyu Lee, Taylor & Francis, New York(2006).
10. App, J. F. & Mohanty, K. K., “Relative Permeability Estimation for Rich Gas-Condensate Reservoirs,” Transport in Porous Media, 58 (3), 287-313 (2005).
11. Sun, X., Nanchary, N. & Mohanty, K. K., “1-D Modeling of Hydrate Depressurization in Porous Media,” Transport in Porous Media, 58, 315-338 (2005).
12. Ogunlana, D. & Mohanty, K. K., “Compositional Upscaling in Fractured Reservoirs during Gas Recycling,” JPSE, 46, 1-21 (2005).
13. Kumar, K., Dao, E. & Mohanty, K. K., “AFM Study of Mineral Wettability with Reservoir Oils,” J. of Coll. Interf. Sci, 289, 206-217 (2005).
14. Sun, X. & Mohanty, K. K., “Estimating Flow Functions During Drainage Using Genetic Algorithm,” SPEJ, 449-457 (December, 2005).
15. Gautam, P. S. & Mohanty, K. K., “Matrix-Fracture Transfer Through Countercurrent Imbibition in Presence of Fracture Fluid Flow,” Transport in Porous Media, 55, 309-337 (2004).
16. Tu, R., Mohanty, K. K. & Tirrell, M., “Liposomal Targeting Through Peptide-Amphiphile Functionalization,” American Pharmaceutical Review, 7 (2), 36-41(2004).
17. Gautam, P. S. & Mohanty, K. K., “Novel Aqueous Foams for Suppressing VOC Emission,” Environ. Sci.  Technol., 38 (4), 2721-2728 (2004).
18. Gautam, P. S. & Mohanty, K. K., “Mass Transfer of Volatile Organic Carbons Through Aqueous Foams,” J. of Coll. Interf. Sci, 273, 611-625(2004).
19. Hidajat, I., Mohanty, K. K., Flaum, M., and Hirasaki, G., “Study of Vuggy Carbonates using NMR & X-ray CT Scanning,” SPEREE, 7 (5), 365-377 (October, 2004).
20. Seethepalli, A., Adibhatla, B. & Mohanty, K. K., “Physicochemical Interactions During Surfactant Flooding of Carbonate Reservoirs,” SPE J., 9 (4), 411-418 (December, 2004).
21. Rodríguez-Guadarrama, L.A., Ramanathan, S., Mohanty, K.K., and Vasquez, V., “Molecular Modeling of Binary Mixtures of Amphiphiles in a Lattice Solution,”
    Fluid Phase Equilibria, 226, 27-36 (2004).
22. Singh, M. & Mohanty, K. K.: “Dynamic Modeling of Drainage through Three-dimensional Porous Materials,” Chem. Eng. Sci. 58, 1-18 (2003).
23. Mohanty, K. K.: “The Near-Term Energy Challenge,” AIChE Journal, 49 (10), 2454-2460 (2003).
24. Li, F., Vipulanandan, C & Mohanty, K. K.: “Microemulsion and Solution Approaches to Nanoparticle Production for Degradation of Trichloroethylene,” Colloids & Surfaces A, 223, 103-112 (2003).
25. Singh, M., Hidajat, I. & Mohanty, K. K.: “NMR Response of a Porous Media: Parallel Implementation,” Chem. Eng. Comm. 190, 1661-1680 (2003).
26. Hidajat, I., Rastogi, A., Singh, M. and Mohanty, K. K.: “Transport Properties of Porous Media from Thin-Sections,” SPE J., 7, 40-48 (2002).
27. Chu, C. P., Ju, S. P., Lee, D. J., and Mohanty, K. K.: “Batch Gravitational Sedimentation of Slurries,” J. Coll. Interf. Sci., 245, 178-186 (2002).
28. Gunaratne, G. H., Mohanty, K. K., and Wimalawansa, S. J.: “A Model for Trabecular Bone and an Application,” Physica, 315, 244 (2002).
29. Gunaratne, G. H., Rajapaksa, C. S., Bassler, K. E., Mohanty, K. K., and Wimalawansa, S. J.: “A Model for Bone Strength and Osteoporotic Fractures,” Phys. Rev. Lett., manuscript# 068101 (2002).
30. Hidajat, I., Singh, M., Cooper, J. & Mohanty, K. K.: “Permeability of Porous Media from Simulated NMR Response,” Transport in Porous Media, 48, 225-247 (2002).
31. App, J. F. and Mohanty, K. K.: “The Benefit of Local Saturation Measurements in Relative Permeability Estimation from Centrifuge Experiments,” SPE J., 7, 288-298 (September 2002).

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