What Is RAPID?
To do this, RAPID will leverage approaches to modular chemical process intensification (MCPI) — such as combining multiple process steps into single more complex and intensified processes — with the goal of improving productivity and efficiency, cutting operating costs, and reducing waste. View the Roadmap Booklet Learn More at AIHCE
This Is An Opportunity For All Manufacturers
RAPID provides a significant opportunity for all manufacturers, not just chemical or paper plants. They are seeking manufacturing companies to fill capability gaps for research, particularly module fabricators and those skilled at metallic 3D printing, forming, and joining technologies. Because RAPID seeks to combine multiple processes into singular, complex processes, they require new product development and production by a variety of manufacturers in numerous sectors. This can be an opportunity for your company to enter a new, potentially lucrative market. Participating in a RAPID project could allow your company to develop new products with subsidized R&D costs.
Small and mid-sized manufacturers play a vital role in advancing modular chemical process intensification in the marketplace because they have a greater capacity to innovate. Further, the keen eyes and nimble processes of manufacturers are needed to determine the manufacturability and commercial viability of new ideas. A new market opportunity for Oregon manufacturers already exists. Learn More
The Manufacturing USA Institutes have dozens of projects focused on manufacturing. The RAPID institute is seeking innovators who make manufacturing modules, particularly those that can transform agricultural waste into valuable chemicals.
The vision is to have hundreds of these small manufacturing plants across the United States. In addition, we seek companies to provide the key components and raw materials to make these high-tech factories. You don’t need to be a high-tech company — you just need an opportunistic outlook and inquisitive disposition. OMEP can take you the rest of the way. To find out a bit more please contact OMEP’s RAPID Manager David McFeeters-Krone at dmk@intelassets.com or call OMEP.
Why is Transforming Process Industries Important?
Typically, chemical plants require city blocks worth of infrastructure, security, and logistical staging. RAPID follows the current trends to build and ship modular chemical plants to customer sites. This is similar to the conveniences manufactured homes brought to the housing marketplace. In chemical processing, process intensification technology can shrink the footprint of plants by combining multiple chemical processing steps into one or by leveraging accelerated transport phenomena to make chemical modules easier to build, transport and install.
Cheaper chemical modules open new markets for manufacturing modular chemical processing equipment. Projected volumes for this equipment could exceed tens of thousands of components and modules. Today’s prime integrators of chemical plants will require the nimble nature of small and mid-sized manufacturers to bring forward both the component manufacturing and the innovative know-how to design these new systems, as well as to establish key supply chain relationships.
RAPID Focus Area Overview
RAPID has highlighted six focus areas to organize the scope of research and development activities in the institute. These include 3 application areas that were selected based on the high level of energy/capital intensity or their potential to benefit from widely distributed modular technologies — Chemical and Commodity Processing, Natural Gas Upgrading, and Renewable Bioproducts.
- Chemical & Commodity Processing
- Natural Gas Upgrading
- Renewable Bioproducts
Three additional areas were selected that focus on the underpinning science and technology that will be required for broader utilization of MCPI technologies — Modeling and Simulation, Intensified Process Fundamentals, and Module Manufacturing.
- Modeling and Simulation
- Intensified Process Fundamentals
- Module Manufacturing
Stay Informed about RAPID
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