• Focus on advanced control methodologies for chemical processes and biomedical systems
• Modeled the physiological effects of anesthetics and designed model predictive control (MPC) strategies for automation of drug infusion in critical care patients
• Developed a multiple-model predictive control (MMPC) strategy for handling systems with variable dynamics. Demonstrated controller performance in simulation and experimental studies in drug infusion control. Developed a custom MS-Windows GUI to interface the control algorithm and the data acquisition hardware for closed-loop control, monitoring and data logging.(/dept/chem-eng/WWW/faculty/bequette/ramesh/research/software.html)
• Developed and simulated an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) based model predictive controller for state estimation and control in open-loop unstable glass cooling forehearths. Compared and evaluated the controller performance against generalized predictive control (GPC) and decentralized PI control
• Current focus on interpolatory methodologies for gain-scheduled control of nonlinear chemical processes and integration of autotuning procedures with a gain scheduled framework.

Research Assistant, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (Aug 1991 – May 1993)

• Evaluated bilinear data reconciliation techniques for separation processes
• Developed an accelerated reconciliation strategy for real-time applications in heat exchanger networks

Teaching Assistant, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Aug 1996 – May 1999)

• Supervised undergraduate case study projects in process control
• Prepared the solutions manual for a textbook on process dynamics
• Designed and maintained the chemical engineering department web pages

Tata Research Development & Design Centre, Pune, India (Aug 1993 – Jul 1995)

• Developed and maintained a commercial process evaluation and diagnostics software (PREDICT®) for the mineral processing industries, currently installed in 8 mineral ore processing plants in India
• Conceptualized and designed a simulation software environment (Simul8®) for process flow design and diagnostics in froth-flotation based separation processes
• Conducted optimization and retrofit studies for reducing generation of fines in a ball-mill grinding circuit

• C/C++, Matlab, FORTRAN, Pascal, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Unix shells and X-Windows
• Development of MS-Windows applications, ActiveX, OLE Automation and VBA modules using Visual C++, MFC, Visual J++ and Visual Basic environments
• HTML/XML, Java, PERL based CGI and ASP for WWW applications
• Deployment, administration and troubleshooting hardware and software on MS-Windows, NT, Macintosh and Linux platforms

1. Rao, R. R, B. Aufderheide, and B. W. Bequette, "Multiple-Model Predictive Control for regulation of hemodynamic variables" (in preparation), 2000.
2. Rao, R. R, B. W. Bequette and D. M. Koenig, "Model Predictive Control for a Glass Cooling Forehearth", (in preparation), 2000.
3. Rao, R.R, B.W. Bequette, and Rob J. Roy " Simultaneous Regulation of Hemodynamic and Anesthetic States: A Simulation Study " Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 28(1), 71-84, 2000.
4. Rao, R.R, J.W. Huang, B.W. Bequette, H. Kaufman and Rob J. Roy "Control of a Nonsquare Drug Infusion System: A Simulation Study," Biotechnology Progress, 15, 556-564, 1999.
5. Bequette, B.W., K.D. Schott, V. Prasad, V. Natarajan and R.R. Rao "Case Study Projects in an Undergraduate Process Control Course," Chemical Engineering Education 32(3), 214-219, 1998.
6. Rao R.R, and S. Narasimhan, "Comparison of techniques for data reconciliation of multicomponent processes," Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 35, 1362-1368, 1996.

Conference Proceedings

1. Rao, R. R, B. W. Bequette and D. M. Koenig, "Advanced Control of a Glass Cooling Forehearth", AIChE Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, Nov. 1999.
2. Rao, R.R, B. Aufderheide, B.W. Bequette, "Multiple Model Predictive Control of Hemodynamic Variables: An Experimental Study," in Proceedings of The American Control Conference, San Diego, CA, Jun. 1999.
3. Rao, R.R, J.W. Huang, B.W. Bequette, H. Kaufman and Rob J. Roy "Modeling and Control of Hemodynamic and Anesthetic Drug Infusion," in Preprints of the Topical Conference on Biomaterials, Carriers for Drug Delivery and Scaffolds for Tissue Engineering, AIChE Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, Nov. 1997.
4. Rao, R.R, R.J. Roy and B.W. Bequette "Control of Hemodynamic and Anesthetic States in Critical Care Patients," in Proceedings of Control-97, Sydney, 158-163 1997.

Book Chapters

1. Rao. R.R, V. Prasad, K. Schott, V. Natarajan, B. Aufderheide, Solutions Manual for "Process Dynamics: Modeling, Analysis and Simulation", by B. W. Bequette, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ 1998.
2. Sabne, M.P., Rao, R.R, Ramachandran, V., Pradip and Kapur, P.C., "Improvements in mineral processing plant performance through computer-aided plant auditing and diagnostics. In: Mehrotra, S.P. and Shekhar, R. (eds), Mineral processing: recent advances and future trends. Allied Publishers, pp. 758-768, 1995.
3. Pradip, Rao, R.R and Sivakumar, S., "Role of computer-aided modelling and plant optimization in mineral processing." In: Tripathy, A.K., Datta, P. and Ray, H.S.(eds), Quantitative approaches in process metallurgy. Allied Publishers. pp.227-240, 1995.