Russell Dean Ostermann
School of Engineering - Chemical & Petroleum EngineeringRoom 4154
Education
Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Kansas
B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Kansas
Selected Publications
Ostermann, R. D. (2012). REU Site Biofuels Development – Feedstock to Tailpipe. In NSF Awardees Conference Poster, Arlington VA, March .
Ostermann, R. D. (2009). A Research Experience for Undergraduates in Chemical Engineering. In NSF Education Awardees Conference, Feb 1-3, Reston, Va.
Ostermann, R. D. (2000). Petroleum Engineering Global Manpower Supply. In 2000 SPE Annual Meeting, Dallas.
Ostermann, R. D. (1999). Petroleum Engineering Global Manpower Supply. In 1999 SPE Annual Meeting, Houston.
Lee, W. J., & Ostermann, R. D. (1997). Enhancing Partnership Between Industry and Education: Roles for SPE. In SPE#39492, Proceedings of the SPE 1997 Annual Technical Conference and Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 5-8.
Graham, D. W., Vavilala, C. Smith, V. H., & Ostermann, R. D. (1996). Acceleration of Heavy Crude Oil Biodegradation in Soil Slurry Reactors . AIChE 1996 Spring National Meeting, Feb. 25-29, paper 28e. New Orleans, LA.
Graham, D. W., Ostermann, R. D., Vavilala, C. & Smith, V. H. (1995). Acceleration of Heavy Crude Oil Biodegradation in Near Surface Soils . Lawrence, Kansas: KU Environmental Research Symposium.
Ostermann, R. D. (1993). Review and Comparison of Oil and Gas Permitting Processes in Alaska, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Alberta. Irving, TX: Center for Legislative Energy and Environmental Research, Energy Council.
Dehghani, K. Qadeer, S. Ostermann, R. D., & Ogbe, D. (1991). Correcting Oil-Water Relative Permeability Data for Capillary End Effect in Displacement Experiments. In Particle Tech. Surface Phenom. in Min. Petr., Proc. of Fine Particle Society Symposium, San Diego.
Ostermann, R. D., & Economides, M. J. (1991). Pilot Plant Studies and Process Design for the Production of Calcium Magnesium Acetate. Industrial Chemistry Library, Calcium Magnesium Acetate.., 2, 443-505.
Hornbrook, M. Dehghani, K. Ostermann, R. D., & Qadeer, S. (1991). Effects of CO2 Addition to Steam on Recovery of West Sak Crude Oil. SPE Reservoir Engineering, 278-287.
Dehghani, K. Bansal, A. Ostermann, R. D., & Ogbe, D. (1989). The Effect of the Presence of a Third Phase on Capillary Pressure by Centrifuge Method and CT Scanning. In SPE #18793, Proceedings of the 1989 SPE California Regional Meeting, Bakersfield, April.
Dehghani, K. Qadeer, S. Ostermann, R. D., & Ogbe, D. (1988). Correcting Oil-Water Relative Permeability Data for Capillary End Effect in Displacement Experiments. In SPE #17423, Proceedings of 1988 SPE California Regional Meeting, Long Beach, March.
Ostermann, R. D., Qadeer, S. & Dehghani, K. (1987). A Correlation for the Increase in Gas Gravity During Pressure Depletion of a Dissolved Gas Reservoir. In SPE #16962, Proceedings of 1987 Annual Technical Conference of SPE, Dallas, Sept.
Economides, M. Osterman, R. D., Dehghani, K. & Ogbe, D. (1987). Hysteresis Effects of Gas Condensate Wells Undergoing Buildup Tests Below Dew Point Pressure. In SPE #16748, Proceedings 1987 Annual Technical Conference of SPE, Dallas, Sept.
Dehghani, K. K'Vella, D. & Ostermann, R. D. (1986). Simulation of Hot-Water Surfactant Flood by a Semi-Analytical Model. In SPE #15055, Proceedings 1986 California Regional Meeting of SPE, Oakland, April.
Ostermann, R. D., Godbole, S. & Khan, S. (1986). The Effect of Dissolved Gas on Geothermal Brine Viscosity. In SPE #15091, Proceedings 1986 California Regional Meeting of SPE, Oakland, April .
Ostermann, R. D., Bloori, A. & Dehghani, K. (1985). The Effect of Dissolved Gas on Reservoir Brine Viscosity. In SPE #14211, Proc. 1985 Annual Conf.-SPE, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Kamath, V. A., Godbole, S. Collett, T. & Ostermann, R. D. (1985). Evaluation of Stability of Gas Hydrates on North Slope Alaska. Cold Regions Science and Technology.
Ostermann, R. D. (1985). Pilot Plant Design and Production of Calcium Magnesium Acetate. 64th Annual National Research Council/TRB Meeting. Washington, DC.
Ostermann, R. D., & Economides, M. J. (1985). Pilot Plant Studies and Process Design for the Production of Calcium Magnesium Acetate In . (Ed.), State of Alaska-DOTPF, Report #AK-RD-86.
Ostermann, R. D., Ehlig-Economides, C. & Owalabi, O. (1983). A Pressure-Volume-Temperature Correlation of Alaskan Crude Oil and Gases. In SPE Paper #11703, Proc. 1983 California Regional Meeting-SPE, Venture, March.
Economides, M. & Ostermann, R. D. (1983). The Production of Calcium Magnesium Acetates as Alternate Deicing Agents. Northern Engineer, Vol. 14(3), 2-28.
Ostermann, R. D., & Economides, M. J. (1983). Preliminary Design and Feasibility Study for a Calcium-Magnesium-Acetate Unit In . (Ed.), Alaska State DOTPF Report #AK-RD-83-16.
Economides, M. Miller, F. & Ostermann, R. D. (1982). Implications of Adsorption and Formation Fluid Composition on Geothermal Reservoir Evaluation. In Proc. IHRDC International Conference on Geothermal Energy, Florence, Italy.
Ostermann, R. D., Bishop, K. A., & Rosson, H. F. (1980). Kinetics of the Thermochemical Conversion of Cellulose to Oil in Aqueous Alkaline Solution. In Energy from Biomass and Wasters IV, IGT Symposium Proceedings, Jan 1980, p. 645, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Research Interests
I have worked primarily in the field of petroleum transport properties and phase behavior in the past. Research projects have involved viscosity measurement and prediction, reservoir phase behavior measurement and prediction, and enhanced oil recovery. In particular this work is aimed at understanding the phase behavior and flow properties of complex mixtures of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon/CO2/H2O mixtures in petroleum reservoirs.
There is little difference between this environment and the porous environment encountered in groundwater contamination. In particular,contrasting with bioremediation of groundwater, the transport of nutrients, fuel sources, and cometabolites to bacteria and removal of respiration products are subject to many of the same processes encountered in petroleum applications.
My current work in bioremediation is focused on nutrient and moisture requirements for degradation of highly weathered oil field wastes. We are dealing with surface (landfarming) at this juncture. A field site is available a short drive from the University for our research. We are currently working in the laboratory, and plan on field work in the spring
Biochemical Engineering
I have additional research in the area of biochemical engineering looking at the production of ethanol by continuous fermentation with alcohol removal from the fermentation broth via extraction.
Ethanol is well known as an automotive fuel. It is in demand for blending with gasoline for "gasohol". Since it is produced as a bulk commodity, even minor increases in production efficiency are meaningful. One of the problems with fermentation as a production process is that alcohol is toxic to the yeast that produces it at concentrations over about 5%. If we can devise a way to remove alcohol directly from the reactor during fermentation, reactor efficiency can be increased.
We have discovered that biodiesel can be used as an extractant. It 1) forms a separate phase, 2) does extract at least some ethanol from water solution, and 3) is not toxic to yeast. It may be possible to simply market biodiesel with ethanol contained in it. If not, it is relatively easy to remove by vacuum distillation. This route may offer a way to slightly decrease the cost of ethanol production.
