P.T. Vasudevan, professor of chemical engineering, received one of the 2005-06 CIE Faculty International Travel grants funded by the VPAA. In March 2006, he traveled to Portugal to participate in a conference, Bioenergy: From Concept to Commercial Processes, organized by the Engineering Conferences International. Below are his report and photos.

I recently attended a conference on ‘Bioenergy: From Concept to Commercial Processes,’ organized by the Engineering Conferences International. The conference was held in Tomar (about 135 km northeast of Lisbon), Portugal. Tomar is divided by the River Nabão, the banks of which contain weirs and wheels once used to water vegetable gardens and orchards.

The objective of the Engineering Conferences Foundation is to advance engineering science and practice by identifying and developing international interdisciplinary conferences. Thus there were speakers from 26 different countries and from a variety of disciplines. The talks were arranged in such a way that there was one session in the morning and one in the evening. Afternoons were free for participants to visit local places of interest and to engage in brainstorming activities. Overall, the conference was a huge success.

The conference addressed the state-of-the-art challenges toward the production of bioenergy and the research being conducted to solve the technical, scientific and economical barriers to wide-spread adoption. Talks focused on current progress that has been made in bioenergy research and also identified new promising future directions of bioenergy. A comprehensive view of the impact of the recent advancement and development on the production of bioenergy via biological and thermal conversions was highlighted. Topics included Bioethanol and butanol production, Biogas (methane) and biohydrogen processes, Biodiesel and biorefinery integration, Microbial fuel cells, Biomass thermal conversion and related environmental issues and policies. My talk on “Biodiesel production by enzymatic transesterification of olive oil” was very well received.

Situated in the geographic center of Portugal, Tomar, was founded by the Knights Templar in 1160. The Templars were part monks, part warriors and plotted crusades from Tomar for centuries. They established the beginnings of the Convento de Cristo, Tomar’s most famous landmark, on a hill overlooking the town. The Convento combines architectural styles from the 12th through 17th centuries. An ornate octagonal canopy protects the high altar of the Templo dos Templares, modeled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and the grounds of the convent contain eight cloisters embracing a variety of styles.

In front of the Convento de Cristo

Roman ruins in Conimbriga

In front of the Convento de Cristo