Faculty
Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Member, National Academy of Engineering
Joe Powell (Joseph B. Powell, PhD) is the Aspire Shell Endowed Executive Director of the University of Houston Energy Transition Institute, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Fellow and former Director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He served as Shell’s first Chief Scientist — Chemical Engineering from 2006–2020, culminating a 36-year industry career where he led R&D programs in new chemical processes, biofuels, enhanced oil recovery, and advised on global strategy for the energy transition to a net-zero carbon economy. He is co-inventor on more than 125 patent applications (60 granted), has received AIChE / ACS / R&D Magazine awards for Innovation, Service, and Practice, and is co-author of Sustainable Development in the Process Industries: Cases and Impact (2010). He chaired the U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC), served two terms on the U. S. National Academy Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology and on the editorial board of Annual Review of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and serves as climate advisor for the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development. He served as crosscutting team lead for Mission Innovation Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (2017), and currently serves on the National Academy Carbon Utilization Infrastructure, Markets, Research, and Development Committee.
Techno-economics and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for optimization of energy systems and sustainable production of chemicals including bio-based feedstocks and CO2 utilization. Circular economy and recycle of plastics, chemicals, and materials. Integrated systems for chemical and catalytic reaction and separation. Process Development via sequential or integrated bench scale mini- and micro-reactor and separation units including multiphase reactors, adsorption and ion exchange, distillation, liquid-liquid extraction, solid-liquid separation.
Milton B. Dobrin Lecture, U. of Houston (2023)
AIChE Fuels & Petrochemicals Division Award (2021)
Pittcon Wallace H. Coulter Lecture Award (2021)
National Academy of Engineering (elected 2020)
National Academy Board on Chemical Sciences & Technology BCST Service (2015-2020)
DOE Hydrogen Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC 2015-2020)
AIChE Board of Directors Service Award (2016-2018)
AIChE Process Development Practice Award (2017)
Austin TX Spring Meeting Program Chair Recognition Award (AIChE 2015)
AIChE Process Development Division Service Award (2012)
AIChE Fellow (elected 2012)
Houston Spring Meeting Program Co-Chair Recognition Award (AIChE 2012)
U. Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering Distinguished Achievement Award (2009)
AIChE Process Development Division Service and Excellence Award for Area 12B Chair Pilot Plants (2006-2007)
American Chemical Society Team Innovation Award (2000)
R&D100 Award (R&D Magazine 1998)
A.D. Little Award for Chemical Engineering Innovation (AIChE 1998)
Tau Beta Pi (Virginia Alpha 1976)
Selected Publications
- D. Smit and J. B. Powell, The Role of International Oil Companies in the Energy Transition, invited paper, Annual Reviews of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Volume 14, accepted for publication, 2023
- Joseph B. Powell and S. v. Bavel, “Chapter 11, Methane Direct Conversion: An Industrial View” in Methane Conversion Routes – Status and Prospects, ed by Rene Bos, in press, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2022
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Carbon Dioxide Utilization Markets and Infrastructure: Status and Opportunities: A First Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/26703. Carbon Dioxide Utilization Markets and Infrastructure: Status and Opportunities: A First Report |The National Academies Press, 2022
- C. D. Demirhan, W. W. Tso, J. B. Powell and E. N. Pistikopoulos, A multi-scale energy systems engineering approach towards integrated multi-product network optimization, Applied Energy, 281, 116020, 2021
- J. B. Powell, D. B. Seamon, J. Bracci, N. Bonnes, J. Chen, Decarbonizing Heavy Duty Transportation, Stanford Energy, Workshop report, August, 2021. https://energy.stanford.edu, 2021
- Y. Deng, X. Bai, V. Abdelsayed, D. Shekhawat, P. D. Muley, S. Karpe, C. Mevawala, D. Bhattacharyya, B. Robinson, A. Caiola, J. B. Powell, A. P. van Bavel, J. Hu and G. Veser, Microwave-assisted conversion of methane over H-(Fe)-ZSM-5: Evidence for formation of hot metal sites, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 420, 129670, 2021
- J. B. Powell, <p>Annual Reports (2019 & 2020) for the U.S. DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee (HTAC)</p>, 2020
- Joseph B. Powell, Natural Gas Utilization: Current Status and Opportunities, Catalysis Today, 356, 27–36. DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2019.10.024, 2020
- J.B. Powell, Application of multiphase reaction engineering and process intensification to the challenges of sustainable future energy and chemicals, Chemical Engineering Science. 157, 15–25. doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2016.09.007., 2017
- Joe Powell, Shell, United States, Crosscutting Technologies, in MISSION INNOVATION: Accelerating the Clean Energy Revolution, Carbon Capture Innovation Challenge, Report of the Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Experts’ Workshop September 26–28, 2017, Houston, TX. Mission Innovation CCUS, 2017
- J. B. Powell, P. M. Ayoub, S. Kapila, A. P. R. Nevill, and G. Y. Buss, Sustainable Supply Chains for Bio-Based Fuels and Chemicals, in Sustainable Supply Chains: Models, Methods, and Public Policy Implications, T. Boone, V. Jayaraman, and R. Ganeshan eds., Springer, NY, 2012
- J. Harmsen and J. B. Powell, Sustainable Development in the Process Industries: Cases and Impact, John Wiley & Sons, New York, April 2010 (ISBN-10: 0-470-18779-4; ISBN-13: 978-0-470-18779-1). https://www.amazon.com/Sustainable-Development-Process-Industries-Impact-ebook/dp/B006ISI2HQ., 2010
Patents and Patent Applications
- https://patents.google.com/?inventor=Joseph+Broun+Powell
- https://patents.justia.com/inventor/joseph-broun-powell
Joseph Broun Powell has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).