Professor Reuel Shinnar 
Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering
The City College of New York, New York, N.Y. 10031
Private Numbers:
Tel: (516) 482‑2084
Fax: (516) 482-8028
Citizenship: United States, Israel
EDUCATION Degree Major Dates
Columbia University, N.Y. EngScD Chem. Eng. 1957Technion, Haifa, Israel MSc Chem. Eng. 1954
Technion, Haifa, Israel Dipl. Eng. Chem. Eng. 1945
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
1979‑present Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering
1964‑79 Professor Chemical Engineering, CUNY
1964‑present Industrial Consultant
1962‑64 Visiting Research Fellow, Guggenheim Jet
Laboratories, Princeton University
1957‑62 Israel Military Industries Chief Engineer
1954‑57 Graduate study at Columbia University
1947‑54 Various positions in Israeli Military Industry; Technical
Manager of Explosives and Ammunition
Professor Shinnar is a distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at City College, where he has taught for 40 years. Before that he was 20 years in industry, and has been consulting since then in the oil and chemical industry, as well as for DOE and EPRI. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has published over 100 papers in many areas of Chemical Engineering. His research has changed the design methodology of chemical processes, as well as their control. He is also an author or co-author of over thirty patents several of them in large-scale use. In fact the current Fischer Tropsch process for diesel production being presently implemented by Shell, SASOL, and Exxon relies on a patent of which he is a co-author, which drastically reduced the cost and improved the yield of the old Fischer Tropsch process.
He has developed a powerful method for economic evaluation of new processes and technologies, based on differential comparison with similar processes, which allows evaluation of the ultimate potential and cost of a proposed process even before any data have been obtained.
Several published studies using this method had large impact. The first show that contrary to DOE and majority opinion indirect liquefaction of coal was superior to direct liquefaction. The second showed that generation of H2 from high temperature nuclear is inherently inferior for H2 production-generating electricity from the same reactor followed by electrolysis, a study contributing to the termination of the seven billion dollar research program that should never have been started. Recently a study specially made to be submitted to a committee of the National Research Council on the H2 economy significantly contributed to the conclusion that the H2 economy is not ready for implementation in the near future, and requires a long-range exploratory research program but it could be reconsidered.
Professor Shinnar has had parallel to his academic research a strong interest in systems studies for large scale National Programs. The most famous one being a quantitative study of the criminal justice system which led to a national policy evaluation, and had a large impact both on the policy and academic research in this field. Other studies dealt with pollution from cars, how to reduce the energy used in transportation, and other energy related subjects. The following list of references only contains out of Professor Shinnar’s hundred published papers those relevant to technology evaluation and systems studies.
Professor Shinnar’s work has been well recognized by the profession, both nationally and internationally, and he has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Founder’s Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry has published a special issue (Festschrift) in his honor (Jan. 2004). He was also in 1985 elected to the National Academy of Engineering. He is listed in Who is Who in the World, Who is Who in the U.S., and Who is Who in Science and Engineering.
RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS
1. Shinnar, R., "The H2 Economy, a Persistent Myth”, CEP Magazine, Vol. 100, No. 11, 4, (2004).
2. Shinnar, R., "The Mirage of the H2 Economy”, Clean Techn. Environ. Policy, 6, 223-226, (2004).
3. Shinnar, R., "The Hydrogen Economy, Fuel Cells, and Electric Cars", Technology in Society, Volume 25, Issue 4, Pages 453-576 (2003).
4. Shinnar, R., "The Rise and Fall of Luz," ChemTech, 23, 50-53, (1993). (for solar energy).
5. Shinnar, R., "The Future of the Chemical Industries," ChemTech, 21, 58-64, (1991).
6. Shinnar, R., "The Partially Controlled Economy," ChemTech, 20, 280-288, 354-359, (1990).
7. Shinnar, R., Dressler, O., Feng, C.D., Avidan, A. "Estimation of the Economic Rate of Return For Industrial Companies", The Journal of Business (University of Chicago), 62, 417, (1989).
8. Shinnar, R., Fortuna, G. and D. Shapira "Use of Nuclear Energy in Production of Synthesis Natural Gas and Hydrogen from Coal,” IEC Process Design & Devel., 23, 183 (1984).
9. Shinnar, R., Fortuna, G. and D. Shapira. "Thermodynamic and Kinetic Constraints of Catalytic Synthetic Natural Gas Processes," I & EC Process Design & Devel., 21, 728 (1982).
10. Shinnar, R., Shapira D., and Zakai, S., "Thermochemical and Hybrid Cycles for Hydrogen Production. A Differential Economic Comparison with Electrolysis" I&EC Process Design & Development. 20, 581. (1981).
11. Shinnar, R., “Differential Economic Analysis. Gasoline From Coal”, CHEMTECH, 8, 686-693, (1978).
12. Shinnar, R. "Thermochemical Hydrogen Generation Heat Requirements and Costs", Science 188, 1036, (1975).
13. Shinnar, R. "The Effect of the Energy Crisis on the Private Car in the US", Transportation Research 2, 87 (1975).
14. Shinnar, R, "Net Energy or Energy Analysis", Symposium on Economics of Natural Resources, The City College of New York (1975).
15. Shinnar, R. "The Energy Crisis in Perspective", Chem. Tech. (1975).
16. Shinnar, R. and Shinnar, S. "The Effects of the Criminal Justice System on the Control of Crime, A Quantitative Approach", Law and Society Review 9, 581 (1975).
17. Avi-Itzhak, B. and Shinnar, R. "Quantitative Models in Crime Control", J. of Criminal Justice, Vol. 1, 185-217 (1973).
18. Shinnar, R. "System Approach for Reducing Car Pollution", Science 175, 1357, (1972).
19. Hadas, R., and Shinnar, R. "The Solar Pond, Optimum Operating Conditions and Control Problems in a Sinking Pond", Israel Rs. Council, (1962). (The design concept of the solar pond operating at the Dead Sea in Israel).
