JOHN D. HEDENGREN

john_hedengren@hotmail.com

 

Objective            Implement advanced process control by creating first principles models and applying those models in real-time optimal estimation and control

 

Areas of

Competence       Development of dynamic first-principles models for chemical engineering applications: polypropylene and polystyrene reactors, distillation columns, combustion, and nuclear applications.

 

                              Commissioning of advanced process control applications

 

                              Development of innovative algorithms and software for state estimation and control

 

Education           The University of Texas at Austin

                              PhD in Chemical Engineering, May 2005

                              GPA 4.0

 

Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah

BS and MS in Chemical Engineering, Aug. 2002

GPA: 3.95

 

Related

Experience         PAS, Inc., Advanced Process Control Development            May 2005-Current

                              Developed first principles models for homopolymer and impact polypropylene reactors

                              Conducted APC training seminars for internal and external clients

Commissioned 3 Unipol reactor APC applications as lead technical engineer

 

                              Advanced Process Control Research (UT Austin PhD)      Sept. 2002-May 2005

                              Created an object oriented first principles modeling simulation environment

Developed methods to significantly reduce nonlinear MPC computational time

                              Explored large-scale model reduction

                              Developed real-time advanced control strategies of large-scale first principles models

 

ExxonMobil, Baytown, Texas                                                    April 2004-June 2004

                              Developed advanced process control for polymer production

                              Worked with plant operators and technical specialists to develop a model

                              Trained other PhD engineers to use advance control technology

 

Rocket Propellant Combustion Modeling (BYU MS)         May 2001-Aug. 2002

Explored ‘time to detonation’ of a rocket motor in a pool fire

                              Improved speed of gaseous HMX reaction calculations by 10 times

 

                              CH2MHill Internship, Hanford, Washington                         June 2000-Aug. 2000

                              Determined pipe flushing requirements for radioactive waste

                              Worked on a team to maintain liquid pumping from radioactive waste tanks

 

BNFL Inc. Internship, Hanford, Washington                          June 1999-Aug. 1999

                              Performed design work for vitrification (molten glass encapsulation)

                              Analyzed corrosion for all major plant vessels handling radioactive sludge

                              Prepared reports for the US Department of Ecology and other clients

 

                              BYU DIPPR Thermophysical Properties Lab                      April 1999-June 1999

                              Predicted surface tensions for over 700 compounds

Verified predicted values with experimental data

 

Other                  

Experience         Boy Scouts of America Leader                                                 Oct. 2002-May 2006

                              Led 10 and 11 year old boys on campouts, rank advancement, and weekly meetings

Facilitated the transition from the Cub Scout to the Boy Scout organization

Created web-based content to encourage planning and coordination of parents

 

Volunteer Representative in Central Italy                                           July 1996-July 1998

                              Served as missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

                              Coordinated efforts of sixteen representatives as zone leader

                              Learned to read, write, and speak Italian fluently

 

Skills                    Computer Skills:

                              Linux and Windows

                              CHEMKIN, PAS Polymer dynamic modeling software (PDMS)

Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Access, VBA

Matlab, FORTRAN, Java, HTML, Visual Basic, and C/C++ programming languages

 

Activities            National champion 10,000-meter Road Runner’s Club of America, 2006

National champion 10,000-meter and runner up 5,000-meter - USA Junior Nationals

                              Mountain West Conference Champion for Cross-Country Running

                             

Honors                Thrust 2000 Fellowship Recipient, 2002-2004

NCAA All-American in Cross-Country, 2000

                              Verizon Academic All-American, 1st Team

GTE Academic All-American, 2nd Team

Team Captain for BYU Cross Country Team

Marigold S. Saunders Academic Scholarship Recipient

BYU Dean’s List

Boy Scouts of America: Eagle Rank

 

Peer Reviewed Publications

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., Approximate Nonlinear Model Predictive Control with In Situ Adaptive Tabulation, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, submitted 2006.

 

Hedengren, J. D., Edgar, T. F., and J. B. Rawlings, Moving Horizon Estimation - The Explicit Solution, Proceedings of CPC-VII, Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada, 2006.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., In Situ Adaptive Tabulation for Real-Time Control, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 44 (8), pp. 2716 -2724, 2005.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., Order Reduction of Large Scale DAE Models, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 29 (10), pp. 2069-2077, 2005.

 

Other Publications

 

Hedengren, J.D. and Edgar, T.F., Order Reduction of a Large-Scale Index-2 DAE Model, , Computing and Systems Technology Division, AIChE National Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, Nov 2005.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., Efficient Moving Horizon Estimation of DAE Systems, Texas-Wisconsin Modeling and Control Consortium (TWMCC), Austin, TX, Feb 2005.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., Adaptive DAE Model Reduction, Texas-Wisconsin Modeling and Control Consortium (TWMCC), Madison, WI, Sept 2004.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., Order Reduction of Large Scale DAE Models, Computing and Systems Technology Division, AIChE National Meeting, Austin, TX, Nov 2004.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., In Situ Adaptive Tabulation for Real-time Control, Proceedings of the American Control Conference (ACC), Boston, MA, July 2004.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., Dependency Analysis for DAE to ODE Conversion and Model Reduction, Texas-Wisconsin Modeling and Control Consortium (TWMCC), Austin, TX, Feb 2004.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., In Situ Adaptive Tabulation for Nonlinear MPC, Poster Session: Systems and Process Control, AIChE National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, Nov 2003.

 

Hedengren, J. D. and Edgar, T. F., In Situ Adaptive Tabulation for Nonlinear MPC, Texas-Wisconsin Modeling and Control Consortium (TWMCC), Madison, WI, Sept 2003.

 

Teaching Experience

 

Co-instructor for Upper-Division ChemE Process Control Course, Fall 2003, UT Austin

Overall Instructor Rating: 4.0/5.0

Overall Course Rating: 3.9/5.0

               Course well-organized: 4.4/5.0

               Communicated information effectively: 4.3/5.0

               Showed interest in student progress: 4.4/5.0

               Assignments and tests returned promptly: 4.4/5.0

               Student freedom of expression: 4.4/5.0

               Course of value to date: 4.2/5.0

Student comments on review forms

“John was excellent during office hrs – always willing to help!  Liked the Simulink/Matlab in class.”

“Thank you for helping us with homework.  I think it really helped me with understanding the materials for this course.  Thank you again for all of your time and patience.”

“I think you’re the most helpful TA I have ever had; you did a wonderful job of explaining & taking an interest in the student.”

 

Teaching Assistant for Upper-Division ChemE Process Control Course, Spring 2005, UT Austin

Overall Teaching Assistant Rating: 4.1/5.0

TA available for scheduled office hours: 3.8/5.0

TA knowledgeable about subject material: 4.4/5.0

TA interested in subject matter: 4.5/5.0

TA explained material clearly: 4.3/5.0

TA kind and respectful: 4.5/5.0

TA patient with questions: 4.3/5.0

TA receptive to questions: 4.3/5.0

TA gave helpful feedback on assignments: 4.1/5.0

Student comments on review forms

“Thanks for the donkey cart process control problem. . .something to remember ChE360 by.”

“John was available more than required & tried to explain things in a way that everyone could understand.”

“Good, very knowledgeable”

“Excellent teaching, thorough, funny.  Very valuable teaching/learning experience.”