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The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) have distinguished the Maximum Efficiency Hydraulic Fluid (MEHF) concept of Evonik RohMax with recognition in a national challenge on energy efficiency in 2010. At the Annual AIChE Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, Dr. Amory Lovins, Director of RMI, presented the subsidiary of Evonik Industries with an honorable mention “for the meritorious entry in the inaugural AIChE-RMI 10xE Challenge with Energy Efficient Hydraulic Fluids”. The Energy Initiative 10xE Challenge is a competition on radical energy saving technologies, which is sponsored by AIChE and RMI.
“The award recognizes the significant benefit achievable through MEHF and validates the message that we offer optimal solutions for improving fuel economy," emphasized Norbert Westerholt, Head of Evonik's Business Line Lubricant Additives (Evonik RohMax). “It is a great honour and reflects the time and great effort many people have put into this project to ensure its success. A special thanks for their passion goes to Christian Neveu, Steve Herzog, Michaël Alibert, Doug Placek, Klaus Hedrich and Michael Zink.”
Evonik RohMax serves the fuel and lubricants industry. One common application of its products is viscosity modification of hydraulic fluids. Using an integrated innovation and engineering approach, Evonik has developed a technology through which the chemistry of hydraulic fluids can have dramatic positive effects on the energy efficiency of hydraulic equipment. The technology approach combines established technology platforms from the fields of chemistry, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics and mechanical engineering in a novel way to increase energy efficiency by a demonstrated 18%. This yields a 26x return on investment and a significant reduction in carbon emissions.
The biggest impediment to the wide adoption of this concept is the need for increased awareness and education. Evonik believes strongly that the recognition and visibility afforded by the 10xE Challenge Award will build awareness and encourage adoption of this technology in its industry and the public sector. The benefits to these groups and society at large are compelling. |
