Akash's research addresses a critical challenge in the chemical industry: the high energy intensity of distillation, the most widely used separation process. His work focuses on integrating heat pump technologies to recover and reuse low-temperature condenser heat, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. Spanning both binary and multi-component distillation systems, his approach emphasizes low-capital, high-efficiency configurations for industrial adoption. 

In a recent study on Separation Cogeneration systems, it was found that 70–90% of the electrical energy input in heat pump-assisted distillation can be recovered as usable process heat or steam — a major advance in process efficiency and sustainability. 

Akash will present his work in a seminar titled: “Enhancing the Thermodynamic Efficiency of Distillation Using Heat Pumps” in Fall 2025. 

Congratulations, Akash!