Process Engineering Intern at Orien Energy

Orien Energy Inc. is an early-stage startup revolutionizing waste heat recovery in heavy industries. Waste heat is ubiquitous in industrial processes, particularly in the low-temperature range. Low-grade waste heat—often in the form of humid air or warm water—contains significant amounts of energy, but at low thermodynamic quality. As a result, it is difficult to reuse efficiently using conventional technologies. Orien Energy addresses this challenge by integrating water-adsorbing materials into an innovative heat pump system that upgrades low-grade waste heat into premium process heat. Our solution delivers high efficiency, sustainability, and affordability for industrial end-users. The technology serves as a platform solution applicable across multiple sectors, including pulp and paper, food and beverage, petrochemicals, and data centers.

As a Process Engineering Intern, you will focus on one or two major projects:

1. Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) Modeling
   You will develop a techno-economic analysis model for Orien Energy’s novel heat pump across different industrial applications. While an existing baseline TEA model will be provided, you will be expected to significantly refine and expand it. This work will include conducting sensitivity analyses to identify the parameters that most strongly influence economic and technical performance.

2. Operational Process Design
   You will design a process strategy to enable smooth transitions between the heat pump’s two operating modes: adsorption and desorption. Because the system operates as a batch process, optimizing this transition is critical to maximizing overall efficiency and performance.

Depending on your strengths and interests, the internship can be tailored accordingly. You will gain hands-on experience in TEA modeling, experimental design, and thermofluids modeling.

You will work closely with and be mentored daily by the Lead Mechanical Engineer, Dr. Zachary Welker, and collaborate directly with the CEO and Founder, Dr. Yajing Zhao (MIT Course 2, PhD ’22).

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in techno-economic analysis and/or thermofluids modeling is preferred.