Kayden Toffolo

I received my BASc in Chemical Engineering at the University of Waterloo in 2021. As an undergraduate student, I was interested in modelling and optimization, and joined the group in 2018 through the URA program. My research focuses on the modelling and process control of an emerging carbon capture process known as Chemical Looping Combustion (CLC). In CLC, the air and fuel are kept separate through the addition of a metal-based oxygen carrier (OC), inherently separating the CO₂ into a concentrated stream with no oxygen or nitrogen. I am applying nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) in order to ensure the system is efficient, producing a concentrated CO₂ stream while generating adequate energy. I have also been investigating the use of biomass as a fuel in this process, which would allow for combustion to be performed with net-negative CO₂ emissions.

Publications :

Toffolo, K., Ricardez-Sandoval, L. (2021, June 13-16). Optimal Design and Control of a Multiscale Model for a Packed Bed Chemical-Looping Combustion Reactor. 11th IFAC Symposium on Advanced Control of Chemical Processes, Fully Virtual.

Valipour, M., Toffolo, K. M., and Ricardez-Sandoval, L. A. (2021). State estimation and sensor location for Entrained-Flow Gasification Systems using Kalman Filter. Control Engineering Practice, 108(104702).