Rene Bañares-Alcántara IQ MS PhD MA

Professor Rene Bañares-Alcántara has a Bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He then studied in Carnegie Mellon University where he obtained both a Master and a PhD degrees in Chemical Engineering. Upon completion of his studies he worked for various academic institutions including the Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas, the Facultad de Química (UNAM) and the University of Edinburgh.

Rene has been part of the Department of Engineering Science (as a Reader) and of New College (as a Fellow) since 2003.

Rene's research interests are around Process Systems Engineering and since 2014 he has focused on long-term (chemical) storage of renewable energy and the production, distribution, and use of ‘green’ ammonia. The OXGATE group has developed ‘green’ ammonia techno-economic models accounting for multi-annual wind/solar variability, grid connectivity, offshore production, use of tidal energy, and green energy trade.

• Bañares-Alcántara, R.  “Perspectives on the potential roles of engineers in the formulation, implementation and enforcement of policies”, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 34:267-276 (2010).
• López-Arévalo, I., Bañares-Alcántara, R., Aldea, A., Rodríguez-Martínez, A. and Jiménez, L. “Generation of Process Alternatives Using Abstract Models and Case-Based Reasoning”, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 31(8):902-918 (2007).
• Manan, Z.A. and Bañares-Alcántara, R. “A New Catalogue of the Most Promising Separation Sequences for Homogeneous Azeotropic Mixtures. I. Systems Without Boundary Crossing”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 40:5795-5809 (2001).
• Bañares-Alcántara, R. and King, J.M.P.  “Design Support Systems for Process Engineering. III. Design Rationale as a Requirement for Effective Support”, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 21(3):263-276 (1997).
• Bañares-Alcántara, R., Ko, E.I., Westerberg, A.W. and Rychener, M.D. “DECADE - A Hybrid Expert System for Catalyst Selection - II. Final Architecture and Results”, Computers and Chemical Engineering, 12(9/10):923- 938 (1988).

Rene tutors first and second year Engineering students in the areas of Thermodynamics, Fluids, Mathematics, and Engineering and Society.

He is in charge of the Risk and Safety course for second year students, coordinates one of the Third Year Design projects, and lectures in the areas of Reactor Design and Chemical Process Design in the final years of the engineering degree.