1. Dr. ZBIGNIEW E. RING
Mobile: (630) 815-1564
e-mail: zbigniew.ring@gmail.com
CORE EXPERTISE
Hydrocracking, hydrotreating, residue hydroconversion, refinery process troubleshooting, catalyst testing,
reaction engineering, kinetics, thermodynamics, scale-up, heat and mass transfer, and reactor modelling.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
 BP North America, Naperville, IL USA
Lead Principal Engineer, Hydroprocessing (2010– current)
Led large projects aiming at:
 Measurement and then prediction of adsorption parameters of nitrogen compounds on catalyst sites
for application in a Langmuir-Hinshelwood type of kinetics hydrotreater process model
 Hydrotreating and hydrocracking strategies for Fischer-Tropsch diesel and wax streams
Conducted successful trouble shooting investigations that brought multi-million-$ benefits to refineries on:
 Catalyst slumping problems in ebullating bed LC-Finer reactors (3-phase hydrodynamics)
 Hydrotreater plugging with “ultra-fines” while processing Canadian synthetic crudes (filtration)
 Color formation in a large multi-reactor diesel hydrotreater (heat transfer in catalyst particles)
Other projects:
 Hydroprocess development and catalyst testing pilot plant programs for various refineries
 Development of methods for improved interpretation of GCxGC/S, /N, and /FID chromatograms
 Conceptual development of hardware and operating procedures for new pilot plants
Leader, Technology Development, Residue Hydrocracking (2007 – 2010)
 Led a group of scientists working on the development of the VCC residue hydrocracking technology
including planning and execution of pilot plant experiments to optimize the technology, catalyst
development, development of analytical support, and mathematical modeling of experimental results.
 Developed a research program leading to new hydroprocessing technologies and in support of current
refinery operations.
 Design improvements and construction of large primary and secondary upgrading pilot plants.
 National Centre for Upgrading Technology, NCUT, Devon, AB Canada
Senior Scientist (1994-98), Technical Leader, Secondary Upgrading & Refining (1998 - 2005),
NCUT Program Manager (2005 - 07)
 Created and led a group of researchers working on internally-funded and contract research on the
development of: secondary upgrading and refining processes for bitumen-derived crudes, catalysts,
advanced characterization methods for refinery streams, and process models. Clients included: Shell
Canada, PetroCanada Ltd, Suncor Energy Inc., Syncrude, Husky Oil, Irving Oil, Pengrowth Energy,
ExxonMobil, BP, UOP, Shell Global Solutions, Corning Inc., Criterion Catalysts, Topsoe Catalysts,
Citgo, Conoco, KBC, US DOE, OMV (Austria), VKG (Estonia), and Pertamina (Indonesia).
Conceived concepts and methodologies, and oversaw research on:
- Novel highly efficient diesel hydrotreating process,
- Novel materials to enhance the performance of hydroprocessing catalysts,
- Investigation of naphthenic acid removal from bitumen-derived streams,
Address:
595 Grosvenor Ln.
Aurora, IL
60504

2. - Speciation methods based on Quantitative Structure Property Correlation for sulphur, nitrogen and
hydrocarbon type based on GCxGC results for refiner streams including heavy distillates,
- Derivation of molecular representations of refinery streams,
- By-boiling-point distributed characterization of refinery streams,
- Processability of bitumen-derived heavy gas oils in FCC,
- Development of hydroprocessing process models and neural-network product quality models.
 Developed and led pilot-plant process-development-support and hydroprocessing-catalyst-evaluation
services (including: the development of testing and quality assurance procedures, data modeling and
interpretation, and scale-up procedures). This activity has consistently delivered over $1M per annum
in contract research revenue in addition to research detailed above.
 Created and led Upgrading Catalyst Development Network – an NCUT/university network (7
universities) focusing on development of catalytic processes to improve the quality of bitumen-
derived distillates as refinery feedstocks.
 As an adjunct professor at Canadian universities of: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ottawa, New Brunswick,
and Laval University co-supervised Ph.D. Students.
 Shell Canada Ltd., Oakville Research Centre, Oakville, ON Canada
Research Engineer (1987 - 90) and Senior Research Engineer (1990 - 94)
 Research and commercial plant support in the area of hydrocracking:
- Conducted precision testing of commercial hydrocrackers and hydrotreaters in support of refinery de-
bottlenecking and process optimization studies,
- Developed a hydrocracker process model software for on-line optimization (implemented and
successfully running on-line at Shell Canada's Scotford refinery since 1993), conducted the related
pilot plant research and developed parameter estimation software,
- Conducted pilot plant programs for catalyst evaluations, process development, and modeling support
for Shell Canada and in support of Shell Group catalyst development research at KSLA, Amsterdam,
- Conducted research and developed a mathematical model of accumulation of polycyclic aromatics in
recycle loop of the hydrocracker including testing of remedial technologies.
 Research in the area of residue hydroconversion:
- Development and design support of the HYCON Peace River bitumen upgrader,
- Developed a scale-up model for moving-bed hydro-demetalization reactors that accounted for the
presence of both catalytic and thermal reactions,
- Conducted pilot plant programs for standardized catalyst testing , modeling support and process
development.
 Institute of Chemical Engineering, Technical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
Research Assistant (1976-82)
 Mathematical modeling of chemical reactors and distillation processes.
 Teaching Chemical Reactor Theory, Reaction Kinetics, and general engineering courses.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Toronto, 1988
"Trickle-Bed Reactors: Effect of Wetting Geometry on the Overall Effectiveness Factor"
B.Sc./M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering, Technical University of Warsaw, 1975
"Decomposition Kinetics of Aluminum Hydroxide under Dynamic Temperature Conditions".

3. Selected Publications (82 publications in total)
1. Butler, G., Cook, B., Schleiffer, A., Rupp, M., Ring. Z., Spencer, R. “Maximize Liquid Yield from
Extra Heavy Oil” Hydrocarbon Processing, September 2009, p. 51
2. Chen, J., Yang, H., Wang, N., Ring, Z., Dabros, T. “Mathematical modeling of monolith catalysts and
reactors for gas phase reactions” Applied Catalysis A: General, 345 (1) 2008, p. 1
3. Hamidipour, M., Larachi, F., Ring, Z. “Cyclic operation strategy for extending cycle life of trickle
beds under gas-liquid filtration” Chemical Engineering Science, 62 (24) 2007, p. 7426
4. Hamidipour, M., Larachi, F., Ring, Z. “Three-phase monoliths versus trickle beds: Comparative
studies of gas-liquid filtration behavior” Chemical Engineering Science, 62 (18-20) 2007, p. 5538
5. Mouli, K.C., Sundaramurthy, V., Dalai, A.K., Ring, Z. “Selective ring opening of decalin with Pt-Ir
on Zr modified MCM-41” Applied Catalysis A: General, 321 (1) 2007, p. 17
6. Chen, J., Jiang, W., Yang, H., Hawkins, R., Ring, Z. “Comparative study of vapor-liquid equilibrium
during hydroprocessing of different petroleum feedstocks” 2006 AIChE Spring Annual Meeting
7. Nakajima, N., Lay, C., Du, H., Ring, Z. “Prediction of gas chromatograhic retention times of
carbazoles in light cycle oil” Energy and Fuels, 20 (3) 2006, p. 1111
8. Ha, Z., Ring, Z., Liu, S. “Derivation of molecular representations of middle distillates” Energy and
Fuels, 19 (6) 2005, p. 2378
9. Du, H., Fairbridge, C., Yang, H., Ring, Z. “The chemistry of selective ring-opening catalysts”
Applied Catalysis A: General, 294 (1) 2005, p. 1
10. Ha, Z., Ring, Z., Liu, S. “Estimation of isomeric distributions in petroleum fractions” Energy and
Fuels, 19 (4) 2005, p. 1660
11. Ha, Z., Ring, Z., Liu, S. “Quantitative Structure-Property Relationship (QSPR) models for boiling
points, specific gravities, and refraction indices of hydrocarbons” Energy and Fuels, 19 (1) 2005, p.
152
12. Yang, H., Fairbridge, C., Chen, J., Ring, Z. “Structure-HDS reactivity relationship of
dibenzothiophenes based on density functional theory” Catalysis Letters, 97 (3-4) 2004, p. 217
13. Chen, J., Ring, Z. “Modeling fixed bed chemical reactors with high heat release” Dynamics of
Continuous, Discrete and Impulsive Systems Series B: Applications and Algorithms, 11 (1-2) 2004,
p. 47
14. Briker, Y., Ring, Z., Iacchelli, A., McLean, N. “Miniaturized method for separation and
quantification of nitrogen species in petroleum distillates” Fuel, 82 (13) 2003, p. 1621
15. Briker, Y., Ring, Z., Iacchelli, A. “New Methods for Characterization of Products from Micro-activity
Testing (MAT) of Residue from Estonian Shale Oil” 2003 ACS Division of Fuel Chemistry
16. Yang, H., Ring, Z., Briker, Y., McLean, N., Friesen, W., Fairbridge, C. “Neural network prediction of
cetane number and density of diesel fuel from its chemical composition determined by LC and GC-
MS” Fuel, 81 (1) 2002, p. 65
17. Te, M., Fairbridge, C., Ring, Z. “Oxidation reactivities of dibenzothiophenes in
polyoxometalate/H2O2 and formic acid/H2O2 systems” Applied Catalysis A: General, 219 (1-2)
2001, pp. 267-280.
18. Yang, H., Fairbridge, C., Ring, Z. “Neural network prediction of cetane numbers for isoparaffins and
diesel fuel” Petroleum Science and Technology, 19 (5-6) 2001, p. 573
19. Briker, Y., Ring, Z. “Diesel fuel analysis by GC-FIMS: Aromatics, n-paraffins, and isoparaffins”
Energy and Fuels, 15 (1) 2001, p. 23
20. Ng, S., Briker, Y., Gentzis, Y.Z.T., Ring, Z., Fairbridge, C., Ding, F., Yui, S. “Distributions of
aromatics, nitrogen, and sulfur in cracked liquid products from microactivity tests” Energy and Fuels,
14 (4) 2001, p. 945
21. Schofield, B.A., Ring, Z.E., Missen, R.W. “Solubility of hydrogen in a white oil” Canadian Journal of
Chemical Engineering, 70 (4) 1992, p. 822
22. Ring, Z.E., Missen, R.W. “Trickle-bed Reactors: Effect of Wetting Geometry on Overall
Effectiveness Factor” Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 64 (1) 1986, p. 117