Engineer Chemical Engineering

LI (JULIE) ZHU, PH.D., P.E.

Katy, TX ***** • ********@*****.*** • 832-***-****

Chemical Process and Safety Engineer

Chemical Process and Safety Engineer with over 15 year experience in Oil & Gas and Petrochemical Development with diversified background demonstrating commitment, versatility, and ability to explore new technologies. Known for analytical and practical experience in a large variety of qualitative and quantitative decision support projects designed to improve safety and quality of operations from engineering design phase to modification and operations of existing assets. Expert in many consequence and risk based analysis tools. Comprehensive knowledge of State and Federal laws, international regulatory compliances, other regulations associated with facility and employee Health & Safety. Known for being very effective in challenging situations where keen chemical, technical, troubleshooting and problem solving skills are required to develop novel solutions for clients in a timely manner.

Process Safety Risk Assessment Consequence Modeling Fire and Explosion Vapor Dispersion Process Hazard Analysis Escape Evacuation and Rescue Facility Siting HSE NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• Applied creative solving skills addressing complex problems, leading to enhanced client understanding of practical issues and development of integrated and long lasting solutions.

• Developed pipeline risk assessment methodology, which were consequently implemented within DNV offices.

• Established and implemented novel quantitative analysis methodology for evaluating effectiveness of water deluge system for Ammonia release, providing risk based insight to process safety design and ensuring compliance with EPA RMP.

• Implemented and troubleshot main issues with a new cutting edge software tool in quantitative fire and explosion analysis projects, resulting in improved software capability, expanded department’s competency and increased client satisfaction. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Det Norske Veritas (U.S.A.) Houston, TX 2008 2015 Senior Consultant

Functioned as Project Manager (PM) and a lead analyst for over 50 quantitative and qualitative risk assessment projects for onshore, offshore and pipeline facilities, improving engineering safety design to reduce associated risk imposed on personnel and facilities and comply with regulations. Produced safety guidelines and operational response procedures for clients to provide clear and thorough awareness and means of responding to emergencies within their facilities. Recognized as expert and key technical personnel for various project issues, verified intermediate and final risk results to ensure high quality and integrity projects delivered to clients. Developed proposals for many project opportunities and catered to client’s requests. Coached and motivated junior consultants to continuously increase their knowledge on process technical safety. Work included following areas:

• LNG Safety Studies

PM and led more than Seven LNG safety studies including LNG liquefaction facilities, onshore and offshore terminals, and storage. Coordinated HAZID study to identify all significant hazards and reduced hazards at planning stage. Identified top risk contributors and provided valuable inputs to design decisions in pre-FEED design stage such as adding ESDs and gas detectors to reduce release inventories, demonstrating risk levels compliant with regulations, appropriate company standards and guidance.

• Pipeline Risk Assessment

PM, led, and conducted more than Ten pipeline risk assessment projects in North America and Mid East. Effectively communicated with clients to develop methodology for addressing pipeline failure frequencies with appropriate pipeline protection systems, determining High Consequence Areas with modified release source terms to reflect characteristics of underground releases, assessing personnel risk imposed by pipeline releases. Demonstrably managed risk to ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) with application of individual or combination of risk mitigation measures, creating a workplace with low harm.

• Onshore Risk Assessment

Led and conducted more than Seven Onshore risk assessment projects. Quantitatively evaluated risk to workers and the public imposed by releases from refinery and chemical plants with significant toxic and flammable chemical inventories. Conducted sensitivity studies to improve engineering safety design and effectively demonstrate acceptable risk levels.

• Offshore Safety Studies

Led and conducted more than Six Offshore safety studies. Provided safety support for concept phase design for offshore facilities in line with North Sea Regulatory Compliance requirements. Studies included: HAZID, QRA, Fire LI (JULIE) ZHU, PH.D., P.E.

Page 2 of 2

& Explosion Analysis, Gas Dispersion Analysis, development of Fire and Explosion Strategy, Escape Evacuation and Rescue Strategy. Evaluated safety risk to personnel from major accident hazards associated with offshore platform, optimizing design factors of living quarters.

• Facility Siting Studies

PM, led, and conducted more than Five facility siting studies. Performed fire and vapor dispersion modeling to identify safe locations for portable buildings on more than 50 drilling pads. Evaluated risk for each facility building exposed to both flammable and toxic releases following client’s group practice, recommending building protection and evacuation plan. Identified locations of ground flares to ensure no toxic and explosion impact on process facility and tank farm, lowered risk to control room and motor control center by optimizing Lube Oil loading activities.

• Whiting Refinery HSE Support

Provided HSE support for Whiting Refinery from various aspects: Performed fire hazard analysis and fire water demand calculation to evaluate fire water capacity of multiple refinery units. Established study methodology to assist design of water spray system for Ammonia releases in compliance with EPA RMP. Positioned and evaluated performance of toxic gas detectors for various operation situations, ensuring acceptable risk to neighboring public. Conducted site visits to validate and harmonize BP guidance on TNO modeling regarding determination of congested region and curve selection with other consultants.

• Consequence Modeling

Followed guidelines to conduct consequence modeling for estimating thermal radiation, flammable and toxic dispersion hazard zones for a well test unit, flaring and flame-out scenarios for onshore facilities, indoor toxic releases, ensuring both flammable and toxic hazards compliance with regulations. Developed methodology used for predicting pool spreading distance of crude oil for unmanned onshore drilling wells, estimating environmental impact from oil spill. Texas A&M University College Station, TX 2000 2008 Assistant Research Engineer 2005 2008

Provided research and development expertise for industry project

• Cooperated with industry to design advanced and cost-effective vapor compression desalination unit with a novel gerotor compressor, shell-sheet heat exchanger, and advanced process configurations.

• Investigated noble metal or organic coatings to promote dropwise condensation with high heat transfer coefficients, thereby minimizing compressor size.

• Participated in designing pilot-scale (100 dry ton biomass/day) MixAlco Process, converting waste biomass into biofuel or various biochemicals through fermentation and refinery processes. Graduate Research Assistant 2000 2005

Worked independently and collaboratively in bioconverting of biomasses to biofuels and biochemicals.

• Optimized fermentation and saccharification of biomass via studying reaction kinetics and product inhibitions and designing bioreactor, increasing carbohydrate conversions by 50%.

• Developed statistical models to predict biomass digestibility as a function of structural features, optimizing pretreatment and saccharification processes and reducing production cost. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Beijing, China 1993 2000 Research Engineer 1996 2000

Process development and scale-up of novel technology

• Developed novel and environmentally friendly technology of ammoxidation of cyclohexanone over titanium silicates

(TS-1) in CSTR reactor.

• Successfully reduced production expenses by 50% via developing novel technology and implementing pilot-scale of tetrapropylammonium hydroxide, template of synthesizing TS-1. Graduate Research Assistant 1993 1996

Investigated and determined absorption, distribution and modification of phosphorus on Fluid Cracking Catalyst. EDUCATION

Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX M.S., Chemical Engineering, Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, China B.S., Chemical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China PATENTS AND PUBLICATIONS

• Four patents

• Eight journal publications

Contact this candidate