Ken Walter, Ph.D.

Dr. Walter provides quality assurance/quality control oversight for a major refinery relief system documentation project. He reviews relief systems for adequacy, checks for deficiencies and verifies that protection from overpressure follows RAGAGEP. Part of that effort involves assisting in the development of design philosophies to promote consistency in the calculations. He has been responsible for pressure relief device system studies in chemical plant, refinery and pipeline transportation operations.

As a Lead Process Engineer, Dr. Walter has led process design for major expansions or new plants that produce petrochemicals and specialty chemicals. Products included adiponitrile, vinyl acetate monomer, freon, insecticide, herbicide and neoprene intermediates. Independent Project Analysis, Inc., judged four major $40 to $120 MM projects superior for achieving capacity goals within both budget and schedule. DuPont named the insecticide project their Plant of the Year for its novel design methods and speed of completion. It continues to contribute multi-million dollar profits. Dr. Walter received DuPont’s Shield of Irenee Award for Design Excellence for his unique design and dynamic computer model of a pressure relief system.

Dr. Walter supervised pilot plant and laboratory projects in chemical process development (e.g., primary magnesium and aluminum, drilling fluid additives, drilling fluid test equipment). He Led several environmental engineering projects (e.g., chemical waste fuel blending for a rotary concrete aggregate kiln, plant stack emissions, heavy metal vitrification).

He sought awarding of and initiated publicly and privately funded university and corporate research and development projects. He has served as lecturer and Associate Professor on the Chemical Engineering faculty of two universities. At one he has earned tenure.