Paul D. Dunbar has over 30 years of experience in chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and process design. He has worked as a professor, consultant, and engineer for various universities, engineering firms, and chemical companies. His work has included process design, equipment selection and sizing, modeling, risk assessment, remediation, and research. He has extensive experience using software like Aspen, ChemCAD, Pipe-Flo, and Excel and has authored several publications.
1. Paul D. Dunbar, Ph.D., P.E.
22 S. Cedar Bluff Ct., Greer, SC 29650 mobile (256) 683-7688 paul@chemical-environmental.com
Licenses: Professional Chemical and Environmental Engineer in TN, KY, GA, and KS
Education: University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN
B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering 1986, 1990, and 1993
Experience O’Neal Inc. Greenville, SC
Sr. Process Engineer Feb 2014 to June 2016
O’Neal Inc. is an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) company
for the process chemical industry. I mostly worked for the design group, but
on occasion I worked for the procurement group. My main clients were
Milliken, DRT, Solvay, Colgate-Palmolive, and SI Group. A majority of my
time was spent on the design of a new process facility for Milliken Inc in
Blacksburg, SC. This included the development of P&IDs/PFDs and process
flow sheets. A large portion of my time was spent on hydraulic calculations,
heat exchangers, tanks, and safety relief system designs. Created basis of
designs (BODs) for individual pieces of equipment including pumps, heat
exchangers, steam generation, cooling tower, and chilled water requirements.
Pipe-Flo Pro professional software was used in conjunction with vendor pump
curves/MOCs to select the appropriate pump. Spent significant time on two-
phase flow calculations from relief valves and other emergency situations
such as run-away reactor reactions discharging to dump tanks. This was
performed to determine the effect on the vent lines and dump/separator tank
sizing for the pressure relief systems. Used Excel software sheets to
document the selection of individual relief valves, flame arresters, and
breathing vents according specific API and ASME documents. ChemCAD
Safety Net, Dynamics, and Batch software was used to assist in system
design. I performed fugitive emission calculations to determine building
ventilation requirements. In addition, I would use ChemCAD to simulate heat
transfer in jacketed tanks, distillation columns, and batch reactors.
Southern Synergy Inc. Decatur, AL
Sr. Process Engineer Jan 2012 to Jan 2014
Professional engineering services were performed for chemical and
petroleum companies including British Petroleum, 3M, Tronox, Calpine,
Styrolution, Legion Energy Services, Calumet Montana Refining, and
Cherokee Nitrogen. MS Excel, ChemCAD, AspenOne, and Pipe-Flo Pro-12
software packages were used to perform many design calculations. British
Petroleum was my biggest client for relief valve sizing according to BP and
API guidance documents as well as BP relief valve Excel sheets. Used
AspenOne Software to dynamically simulate relieving events from large
hazardous tanks to determine potential plant risk reduction.
I sized various process equipment including relief valves, dust collectors,
pumps, piping, control valves, and steam lines according to good engineering
practice and standards. SSI performs PSM services. I served as a scribe in
HAZOP studies using PHA-Pro and substituted for the facilitator in some
sessions for the BP Trinidad natural gas production facility and the Whiting,
Indiana Refinery.
One of my largest tasks involved the multi-discipline process design of a
petroleum facility in North Dakota. My tasks included the development of
material and energy balances, pipe and valve sizing, control and manual
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valve selection, and H2S measurement/scavenger treatment designs.
US Army, Redstone Arsenal Huntsville, AL
Chemical Engineer, Defense Army Civilian Aug 2010 to Jan 2012
My primary task was to improve the analytical methods for the Army Oil
Analysis Program (AOAP) which is part of Logistics and Support (LOGSA)
within the Army’s Materiel Command (USAMC). The AOAP program is
tasked with the Conditioned Based Maintenance (CBM) of all equipment
(Tanks, Humvees, Armored troop carriers, Helicopters, etc.) that use
lubricating, hydraulic, and transmission fluids. My responsibilities included
performing laboratory experiments to evaluate new instruments, generate
guidance and equipment specification documents to insure the program’s
labs operated according to ASTM and ISO standards, and to statistically
evaluate field data for significance. I re-signed my position to return to the
engineering/consulting business.
Apex Engineering Inc. Calvert City, KY
Sr. Process Engineer/Project Manager Sept 2007 to July 2010
Aspen Plus and Aspen Capital Cost Estimator software were used to design,
simulate, and estimate the construction cost of chemical processes. PFDs
were developed using Aspen Plus. My clients included Arkema, The
Department of Energy, New Page Paper, HB Fuller, Honeywell Specialty
Materials, GE-SABIC, Electric Energy Inc., and Supresta Inc. My designs
have included heat exchangers, piping systems, control valves, pumps,
scrubbers, distillation towers, relief valves, rupture disks, steam traps, etc
Arkema Chemical was one of my biggest clients, and my some of my duties
included the evaluation of over 200 relief devices. In many cases, I had to
determine the worst case operating conditions for the process in order to
perform the relief valve scenarios. I also reviewed and stamped their SPCC
plan. Aspen Plus was used to design distillation columns for Supresta Inc.
Honeywell Specialty Materials in Metropolis, IL converts uranium ore to
uranium hexafluoride (UF4) in fluidized bed reactor. I was hired to increase
the UF4 production rate. My responsibilities included leading process
improvement meetings with all parties involved in production and operations.
Matlab software was used to analyze the material and energy balances
around the fluidized bed reactors and heat exchangers in order to optimize
the process.
I also designed equipment to remediate contaminated sites (Soil and
Groundwater) at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant for the Department of
Energy. Environmental Statistical calculations were performed for the New
Page Paper Corp. However, due to the business slowdown of 2008-09; Apex
laid me off as a full-time employee and re-hired me as a part-time contractor.
I worked for them on a job-by-job basis until I was hired full-time by the US
Army in Huntsville, AL.
5H Technologies Inc. Paducah, KY
Engineer/Project Manager Jan. 2006 to Sept 2007
5H is a small consulting firm where I worked part-time while I was a professor
at the University of Kentucky. I managed projects, performed Phase I and II
Environmental Site Assessments. I also wrote Spill Prevention, Control, and
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Countermeasure reports. I served as an expert witness on behalf of the
Paducah & Louisville Railroad, Harrah’s Casino, and Tyler Mountain Water in
a lawsuit over land use zoning.
University of Kentucky Paducah, KY
Asst. Prof. of Chemical Engineering July 2000 to May 2007
My teaching responsibilities included the following courses: Chemical
Process Design, Process Modeling and Optimization, Bioprocessing
Engineering including FDA GMP guidelines, Communications: Writing and
Speaking, Separations, Chemical Process Safety, Thermodynamics, Process
Principles, Process Control, and Unit Operations Laboratory.
My research included the development of uranium based materials for
lithium-ion batteries and super capacitors. Paducah, Kentucky stores over 5-
billion pounds of depleted uranium. The goal of my research was to develop
a cost-effective high performance cathode consisting of lithiated uranium
compounds (LixUy Oz) to be used in load leveling batteries for power storage
for large utility companies. These compounds were formed as the products
of reactants inside ceramic tube furnaces and muffle furnaces at high
temperatures under reducing and oxidizing conditions, respectfully. I
assembled and tested the cathode materials in a Hohsen electrochemical cell
inside a glove box. The cells consisted of a graphite anode, the test
cathode, polypropylene separators, a pure lithium counter electrode, and
various commercial organic electrolytes. Potentiostat and frequency response
analyzers were used to characterize the material’s electrochemical
properties. Unfortunately, the materials failed to efficiently intercalate the
lithium ions possibly due to uranium’s large electron cloud. My research was
funded by Oak Ridge National Labs, The US Department of Energy, The
Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation, and the Kentucky Consortia
for Energy and the Environment. My grants supported three undergraduate
research assistants. The research involved collaboration with Dr. Stephen
Lipka of the Center of Applied Energy Research and Walter Tracinski of
Applied Power Inc.
I served as an expert witness for Pilgrim’s Pride Chicken. Pilgrims’ Pride
Chicken was sued for $20 Million dollars. I recreated the industrial trucking
accident and demonstrated that the plaintiff’s arguments were invalid. The
plaintiff argued that an exposure to carbon dioxide caused his injuries. The
jury sided with Pilgrim’s Pride Chicken and the case was dismissed.
Ensafe/Allen & Hoshall Memphis, TN
Engineer/Risk Assessor/Statistician June 1995 to June 2000
My initial major tasks included the writing of CERCLA feasibility studies and
RCRA CMS for the remediation of a broad range of contaminants at US Navy
Facilities at NAS Dallas, NAS Glenview, IL, NAS Pensacola, and Charleston
Submarine Base, SC under the Navy CLEAN program. Contaminants
included heavy metals, BTEX, PAHs, chlorinated solvents, explosives,
pesticides, herbicides, etc. Some of my other environmental engineering
tasks included generating human health risk assessments, fate and transport
studies, and background statistical analyses for PAHs, pesticides, heavy
metals etc. I wrote and performed human health risk assessments according
to RAGS A through D and DQO documents. My major risk assessments
were for NAS Glenview and NAS Dallas.
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Some of my chemical engineering projects included the design of air pollution
control systems ($2 Million in value) consisting of chillers, piping, manifolds,
pumps, heat exchangers, and controls to prevent flammable gases from
escaping large storage tanks at the WM Barr chemical plant in Memphis, TN.
I was also involved in Microsoft Access database programming for Kellogg’s
and Autozone Inc.
I served as an expert witness in a truck explosion case involving Sunoco Inc.
and Proctor & Gamble for a litigation proceeding in Memphis, TN. My
simulations of the explosion conditions convinced the defendant to settle the
case out of court.
At times, I worked for the statistics department where clients required
environmental data statistical studies to meet State or Federal regulations. In
one of the most interesting cases, the US Navy was being blamed for DDT
pollution in the Pensacola, FL area. I used parametric and non-parametric
statistical tools in Mini-Tab software to characterize the DDT population
distributions. I demonstrated that the US Navy was not the source for DDT
pollution. This allowed the US Navy to save over $3 Million.
Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN
Adj. Prof. of Chemical and Environ. Engineering Jan 1996 to May 2000
I was an adjunct professor for four years while I worked for Allen & Hoshall
and Ensafe. I taught 1 or 2 classes per semester and supervised senior
projects in the Civil or Chemical Departments. I would also prepare students
for academic competitions at regional competitions. My teaching
responsibilities included the following courses: Introduction to Environmental
Engineering, Special Topics in Environmental Engineering, Bioprocessing
and Senior Design. I was offered a full time position in February of 2000, but
I took the University of Kentucky position instead.
General Motors R&D, Environmental Research Warren, Michigan
R&D Engineer/Project Manager April 1993 to May 1995
I tested various remediation technologies via pilot studies that were located in
Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. I designed, constructed, operated, and
maintained pilot studies/full-scale systems at these sites. I supervised
engineers, geologists, well-drillers, pipe fitters, and electricians. My system
measured vacuum pressures, air flowrates, total hydrocarbons, oxygen, and
carbon dioxide supplied fresh air to the subsurface at multiple points and
depths to 250 feet below the surface in real time at the GM Proving Grounds.
The sub-surface bacteria removed over 1,000 lbs. per day of gasoline in
terms of carbon dioxide. The spill had been 200,000 gallons of gasoline.
Legal staff determined that GM R&D should no longer perform internal
remediation projects. Our department was downsized as a result. I was
offered a few jobs, and I took the offer in Memphis.
The Boeing Company, Space and Defense Division Huntsville, AL
Chemical Engineer August 1992 to May 1994
I was initially hired to help design the wastewater treatment system for the
Mission to Mars. I ended up being a part of the Space Station Freedom
Program due to budget cuts. Duties included the modeling of the fluid flow
and heat transfer throughout the Space Station Freedom plumbing and
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heating units. I developed performance tests for the process control water
quality monitor (PCWQM) to ensure the instrument met the required
performance tests. I was also selected to be a member of the Boeing Public
Relations team for the Space Station at conferences. Boeing began
downsizing their staff in April of 1993. I took a leave of absence to work for
GM as a postdoc until May 1994 since the Space Station program was in a
state of flux. I had the choice of staying with GM or returning to Boeing. I
took the GM job because Boeing required me to move to Seattle.
Center for Environmental Biotechnology Knoxville, TN
Graduate Research Assistant November 1986 to August 1992
My major responsibilities included the development of fiber-optics/photo-
multipliers systems to measure bioluminescence from genetically modified
microorganisms (whole cell biosensors) in bioreactors and mathematically
model the bacterium’s response to specific chemicals. I developed material
balances on specific chemicals, DNA, RNA, and proteins involved in the
specific microorganism. A separate model was developed based on process
control theory. This model looked at the input and system output. I modified
stainless steel biological packed bed reactors to allow fiber optics and liquid
light pipes to channel light signals to photomultipliers integrated with
computer systems. Projects involved a number of disciplines including
microbiologists, molecular biologists, chemical engineers, civil engineers, and
biochemists. My research was funded by The DuPont Company, US
Geological Survey, and the U.S. Air Force.
Publications Rapid, Sensitive Bioluminescent Reporter Technology for Naphthalene
Exposure and Biodegradation, Journal of Science, Vol. 249, p. 778, (1990).
Use of Bioluminescence Markers to Detect Pseudomonas spp. in the
Rhizosphere, Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 57, No. 12, p.
3641, (1991).
Construction and Testing of a Pilot Scale Drinking Water Treatment Process,
ASEE National Conference Proceedings, Salt Lake City, June 2004
Grandma was a Chemist but Didn’t KnowIt, AChapter in Active Chemistry,
Food and Drugs Section of a High School Chemistry Textbook, It’s-About-
Time, Armonk, NY (2006). Textbook was funded by the National Science
Foundation.
Selected Construction and Testing of a Pilot Scale Drinking Water Treatment Process,
Presentations ASEE National Conference, Salt Lake City, June 2004
The Development of a Uranium Based Battery, AIChE National Conference,
San Francisco, November 2003.
The Electrochemical properties of Lithiated Uranium Dioxide compounds,
AIChE National Conference, Austin, TX 2004.
Characterization of a Deep Subsurface Gasoline Spill, AICHE National
Conference, Austin, TX 2004
The Construction of a BioReporter Stain for the Detection of Pollutants in
Groundwater, American Society of Microbiology Biotechnology
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Conference, 1990.
Other Presentations were given at the American Chemical Society in Atlanta,
GA, 1991; Society of Industrial Microbiology, Philadelphia, PA 1991;
American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Los Angeles 1991, Miami Beach
1995, Cincinnati, OH 2005; American Society for Engineering Educators,
Nashville, TN 2003; Environmental Biotechnology for Waste Treatment,
1992, Knoxville, TN.