Soutenance de Thèse de Doctorat en Génie chimique présentée par Ermias Girma AKLILU

Doctoral Thesis Defense in Chemical Engineering

Euromed University of Fes (UEMF) is pleased to announce to the public the defense of a doctoral thesis in Chemical Engineering.

Candidate: Mr. Ermias Germa Akiliu

Date: April 10, 2026

Time: 02:30 PM

Location: Grand Hall of the Incubator (LOC001994)

Thesis Topic

"Development of a Digital Twin for Methanol Production through the Integration of Physics-Based Modeling and Data-Driven Approaches"

Abstract

This research presents an advanced Digital Twin (DT) framework to optimize the catalytic hydrogenation process of carbon dioxide for methanol production, a crucial pathway for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enabling a circular carbon economy. By integrating physics-based models with machine learning and multi-objective optimization, the study addresses key challenges related to reaction complexity, process efficiency, and scalability.

High-performance surrogate models were developed and coupled with optimization algorithms to identify optimal operating conditions. The proposed approach achieved significant improvements in methanol productivity, carbon efficiency, energy consumption, and overall economic performance. Furthermore, the framework provides substantial computational acceleration while maintaining high predictive accuracy, enabling faster and more reliable optimization.

An easy-to-use web-based tool was also developed to enable rapid prediction and process performance optimization, supporting real-time decision-making. Overall, these results demonstrate how AI-powered methodologies can transform sustainable chemical manufacturing by delivering practical, scalable, and economically competitive solutions for carbon dioxide utilization. This work advances process intensification, energy efficiency, and digitalization, contributing to the development of future AI-powered smart and digital chemical plants.

Defense Committee Members