P James McLellan PhD, P.Eng

Education and Career History

BSc (Hon), Mathematics and Engineering (Process Control option), Queen's University, 1981
MASc, Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 1983
PhD, Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, 1990

• Control Applications Engineer, Petro-Canada Products Inc., Toronto, 1983-1986
• Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, 1990-1995
• Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, 1995-2000
• Cross-appointed to Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University, 1998-present
• Professor, Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, 2000-present
• Acting Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, July 2002 - June 2003
• Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, July 2006 - present

Research

• Functional Data Analysis
• Real-Time Optimization Using Mechanistic and Empirical Models
• Identifiability of Process Models
• Fault Detection Using Multivariate Statistical Techniques
• Sensitivity Analysis

MITACS Project - Advanced Parameter Estimation Tools for Building Models of Chemical Processes
(project web page - Now called mprime)

The theme of our research is the development of techniques to support dynamic modeling, analysis, estimation, monitoring and control of chemical processes. The emphasis is on the use of nonlinear process models, consisting of systems of ordinary differential, partial differential, or differential algebraic equations derived from fundamental energy and material balances, and equilibrium relationships.

Fall

CHEE 418: Strategies for Process Investigations

Winter

CHEE 302: Technical Entrepreneurship (online)

CHEE 410: Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Teaching Dossier (1990-2003)

Undergraduate Courses

CHEE436 - System Identification - 2001, Winter 2003

CHEE434 - Process Control II - 1993-94, 1996-2003

CHEE418 - Strategies for Process Investigation - 1991-92, 1998

CHEE471 - Technology, Engineering and Management (TEAM) - project supervisor - 1999-2002

CHEE420 - Laboratory Projects - project supervisor - 1998

CHEE320 - Analysis of Process Data - 1992-93, 1999-2001

CHEE319 - Process Dynamics and Control - 1993-19999

CHEE315 - Chemical Engineering Laboratory - 1995-96 - laboratory supervisor

CHEE115/CIVL115 (now APSC141) - Microcomputers in Engineering - 1991, 1995
- WordPerfect module (1991), Maple module (1995)

Senior Thesis Projects:

CHEE421 - Chemical Engineering thesis

CHEM418 - Engineering Chemistry thesis

MATH493 - Mathematics and Engineering

Graduate Courses

CHEE801 - Strategies for Process Investigation - 1991-92, 1998

CHEE821 - Process Control II - 1993-94, 1996-2003

CHEE822 - Model-Based Control - 1993-94, 1996-2001

CHEE825 - System Identification - 1997-2001, Winter 2003

Instructional Development Workshops Presented and Chaired

Symposium on Teaching, October 2001 - In a session coordinated by Mark Weisberg and entitled "Strategies for Engaging Your Students in the First Weeks of Term", Mark, Maggie Berg and I made presentations and modeled various activities with the workshop attendees.

Panel Discussant, SGS901 Instruction Course, Instructional Development Centre, Queen's University (2001) - The panel addressed the following five themes: Personal Reflections, Challenges in Teaching, Large Classes versus Small Classes, Participation, and Advice for the Up and Coming.

"Meet the Teacher: The Art of Explaining" Instructional Development Centre Workshop, Queen's University (1999). I presented this workshop.

Panel Discussant, Instructional Development Centre, Queen's University (1998).

"Using Maple in Education" - presentation given at the Computing Services Workshop, Queen's University, May 1994.

"Teaching Process Control and Statistics in Chemical Engineering" - chaired two sessions and led discussions at the 1993 Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Ottawa.

Industrial Short Courses and Workshops

"Statistical Model-Building" - 2 day workshop presented at the Alcan Vaudreuil Works and Technology Centre, Jonquière, June 2000.

"Statistics for Experimenters" - 5 day workshop presented to Ethicon (subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson), New Jersey, through University Associates of Princeton (2000).

"Process Control" - 2 day workshop through Continuing and Distance Studies, Queen's University (1999).

"Statistics and Data Analysis" - 3 day workshop presented on three occasions to Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions, Thousand Oaks, CA (1996), Malaysian Refining Company (at Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions, 1997), and CITGO Refining, Corpus Christi, TX (1998).

"Statistics and Data Analysis" - prototype web-based lecture, for Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions - 1999.

"Teaching with Matlab and Maple" - presented to Prentice-Hall Annual Closers Meeting, March 1997.

Elementary/Secondary School Outreach

Looking at Sound - talk given to two Grade 4 classes at Lancaster Drive Public School, Kingston, May 1999. These classes included acting out the movement of air molecules in response to a vibrating metre stick, plotting the displacement to visualize the sound waves, and recording of sounds so that the frequency content could be visualized. The concept of a spectrum was introduced, and spectral analysis software was used to generate spectra for musical instruments.

States and Matter - talk given to Grade 5 class at Lancaster Drive Public School, Kingston, June 1999. The class included live demonstrations and computer animations of chemical reactions.

Statistical Quality Control Using Charting - talk given to Grade 5 class at Lancaster Drive Public School, Kingston, December 1997. This class including an experiment in which candy canes where monitored for weight.

What is Chemical Engineering? - talk given twice as part of the Enrichment course series for highschool students, taught at    Queen's, May 1998.

Journal Publications

• Pfaff, G., J.F. Forbes and P.J. McLellan, "Generating Information for Real-Time Optimization," Developments in Chemical Engineering and Mineral Processing Journal 2006.  (Accepted)
• Poyton, A.A., M.S. Varziri, K.B. McAuely, P.J. McLellan and J.O. Ramsay, "Parameter Estimation in Continuous-Time Dynamic Models Using Principal Differential Analysis," Computers and Chemical Engineering 30, 4, 698-708, 2006.
• Gokulakrishnan, P., A.D. Lawrence, P.J. McLellan and E.W. Grandmaison, "A Functional PCA Approach for Analyzing and Reducing Complex Chemical Mechanisms," Computers and Chemical Engineering 2006.  (Accepted)
• Ben-Zvi, A., P.J. McLellan and K.B. McAuley, "Identifiability of Nonlinear Differential Algebraic Equations Via a Linearization Approach," Canadian Journal for Chemical Engineering 2006.  (Accepted)
• Nielsen, D.R., A.J. Daugulis and P.J. McLellan, "Transient Performance of a Two-Phase Partitioning Bioscrubber Treating a Benzene-Contaminated Gas Stream," Environmental Science and Technology 39, 22, 8971-8977, 2005.
• Nielsen, D.R., A.J. Daugulis and P.J. McLellan, "A Restructured Framework for Modeling Oxygen Transfer in Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactors," Biotechnology and Bioengineering 91, 6, 773-776, 2005.
• Guay, M., R. Dier, J. Hahn, and P.J. McLellan, "Effect of Process Nonlinearity on Linear Quadratic Regulator Performance," Journal of Process Control 15, 1, 113-124, 2005.
• Gokulakrishnan, P., P.J. McLellan, D. Lawrence, and E.W. Grandmaison, "Kinetic Analysis of NO-Sensitized Methane Oxidation,"Chemical Engineering Science 60, 3683-3692, 2005.
• Nielsen, D., A.J. Daugulis and P.J. McLellan, "Quantifying Maintenance Requirements from the Steady-State Operation of a Two-Phase Partitioning Bioscrubber," Biotechnology and Bioengineeering 83, 6, 735-741, 2005.
• Ben-Zvi, A., K. B. McAuley and P. J. McLellan, "Identifiability Study of a Liquid-Liquid Phase Transfer Catalyzed Reaction System,"AIChE Journal 50, 2493-2501, 2004.
• Ben-Zvi, A., P.J. McLellan and K.B. McAuley, "Identifiability of Linear Time-Invariant Differential-Algebraic systems. 2. The Differential-Algebraic Approach," Ind. Eng. chem. Res. 43, 5, 1251-1259, 2004.
• Hutchinson, R.A., P.J. McLellan, J.O. Ramsay, H. Sulieman, and D.W. Bacon, "Investigating the Impact of Operating Parameters on Molecular Weight Distributions Using Functional Regression," Macromolecular Symposia 495-508, 2004.
• Sulieman, H., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "A Profile-Based Approach to Parametric Sensitivity in Multiresponse Regression Models," Computational Statistics and Data Analysis 45, 4, 721-740, 2004.
• Guay, M., R. Dier, J. Hahn, and P.J. McLellan, "Effect of Process Nonlinearity on Linear Quadratic Regulator Performance," Journal of Process Control 2004.  (Accepted)
• Ben-Zvi, A., P. J. McLellan and K. B. McAuley, "Identifiability of Linear Time-Invariant Differential-Algebraic Systems - I: The Generalized Markov Parameter Approach," Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 42, 25, 6607-6618, 2003.
• Nielsen, D., A.J. Daugulis and P.J. McLellan, "A Novel Method of Simulating Oxygen Mass Transfer in Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactors," Biotecnology & Bioengineering 83, 6, 735-742, 2003.
• Zhou, Y., J.F. Forbes, J. Bao, and P.J. McLellan, "Estimation of Controller Economic Benefits: An Optimization Approach," APPITA Journal 56, 2, 164, 2003.
• Zhou, Y., J. Bao, P.J. McLellan and J.F. Forbes, "Estimation of Controller Benefits: An Optimization-Based Approach," Pulp and Paper Canada 103, 10, T255-259, 2002.
• Bao, J., J.F. Forbes and P.J. McLellan, "A Passivity-Based Analysis for Decentralized Integral Controllability," Automatica 38, 243-247, 2002.
• Sandink, C., K.B. McAuley and P.J. McLellan, "Selection of Parameters for Updating in On-Line Models," Ind. Eng. Chem. Research 40, 3936-3950, 2001.
• Sulieman, H., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "A Profile-Based Approach to Parametric Sensitivity Analysis of Nonlinear Regression Models," Technometrics 43, 425-433, 2001.
• Cruickshank, S.M., A.J. Daugulis and P.J. McLellan, "Modeling of a Continuous Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactor for the Degradation of Xenobiotics," Process Biochem. 35, 1027-1035, 2000.
• Cruickshank, S.M., A.J. Daugulis and P.J. McLellan, "Dynamic Modeling and Optimal Fed-Batch Feeding Strategies for a Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactor," Biotech. Bioeng. 67, 224-233, 1999.
• McLellan, P.J., A.J. Daugulis and J. Li, "The Incidence of Oscillatory Behaviour in the Continuous Fermentation of Zymomonas mobilis," Biotechnology Progress 15, 667-680, 1999.
• Thake, A.J., P.J. McLellan and J.F. Forbes, "Controller Approximation Using Semi-Definite Programming," Ind. Eng. Chem. Research 38, 2699-2708, 1999.
• Bao, J., J.F. Forbes and P.J. McLellan, "Robust Multi-Loop PID Controller Design - A Successive Semi-Definite Programming Approach," I&EC Research Research 38, 3407-3419, 1999.
• Hojabr, S., W.E. Baker, P.J. McLellan, K.E. Russell and M.A. Huneault, "Melt Grafting of Glycidyl Methacrylate onto Polyethylene: an Experimental and Mathematical Modeling Study," Int. Poly. Proc. 13, 1998.
• Dadebo, S.A., K.B. McAuley and P.J. McLellan, "On the Computation of Optimal Singular and Bang-Bang Controls," J. Opt. Control Appl. Meth. 19, 287-297, 1998.
• Guay, M.J., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "On a Measure of Closed-Loop Nonlinearity and Interaction for Nonlinear Chemical Processes," AIChE J. 43, 2261-2278, 1997.
• Guay, M.J., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Dynamic Feedback Linearization," Int. J. Control 68, 87-106, 1997.
• Dadebo, S.A., M.L. Bell, P.J. McLellan and K.B. McAuley, "Temperature Control of Industrial Gas Phase Polyethylene Reactors,"Journal of Process Control 7, 83-96, 1997.
• Arnold, S.G., P.J. McLellan and A.J. Daugulis, "Dynamic Modelling and Performance Optimization of an Extractive Fermentation,"Can. J. Chem. Eng. 74, 385-393, 1996.
• Miller, N.C., R.W. Toffolo, K.B. McAuley and P.J. McLellan, "Determining Polymer Chain Length Distributions Using Numerical Inversion of Laplace Transforms," Polymer React. Eng. 4, 279-301, 1996.
• Daugulis, A.J., P.J. McLellan and J. Li, "The Effect of Ethanol Concentration History and Change Rate on the Ethanol Fermentation of Zymomonas mobilis," Biotech. Bioeng. 56, 99-105, 1996.
• Guay, M., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "Measurement of Nonlinearity in Chemical Process Control Systems: The Steady State Map," Can. J. Chem. Eng. 73, 868-882, 1995.
• Piette, R., T.J. Harris and P.J. McLellan, "Graphical Interpretations of Steady-State Interaction Measures," Ind. Eng. Chem. 34, 4436-4450, 1995.
• McAuley, K.B., D.M. Macdonald and P.J. McLellan, "Effect of Operating Conditions on Stability of Gas-Phase Polyethylene Reactors," AIChE J. 41, 868-879, 1995.
• Li, J., A.J. Daugulis and P.J. McLellan, "Inhibition Effects of Ethanol Concentration Change Rate on Zymomonas mobilis," Biotech. Lett. 17, 321-326, 1995.
• McLellan, P.J., "A Differential-Algebraic Perspective on Nonlinear Controller Design Methodologies," Chem. Eng. Sci. 49, 1663-1679, 1994.
• Daugulis, A.J., Axford, D.B. and McLellan, P.J., "The Economics of Ethanol Production by Extractive Fermentation," Can. J. Chem. Engng 69, 488-497, 1991.
• McLellan, P.J., Harris, T.J. and Bacon, D.W., "Error Trajectory Descriptions of Nonlinear Controller Designs," Chem. Eng. Sci. 45, 3017-3034, 1990.
• Harris, T.J. and McLellan, P.J., "Generic Model Control - A Case Study Revisited," Can. J. Chem. Engng 68, 1066-1070, 1990.

Conference Proceedings

• Ben-Zvi, A., P.J. McLellan and K.B. McAuley, "Identifiability of Linear Time-Invariant Differential-Algebraic Systems - Application of Differential Algebra," Conference on Decision and Control, Hawaii, December, 2003.  (Accepted)
• Ben-Zvi, A., P.J. McLellan and K.B. McAuley, "Identifiability of Linear Time-Invariant Differential-Algebraic Systems, Using Generalized Markov Parameters," American Control Conference, Denver, June, 2003.  (Accepted)
• Thake, A., F. Forbes and P.J. McLellan, "Approximation of High-Dimensional Multivariable Controllers Using Semi-Definite Programming," Proc. ADCHEM Conference, pp. 664-669, 1997.
• Thake, A., F. Forbes and P.J. McLellan, "Design of Filter-Based Controllers for Cross-Directional Control of Paper Machines," Proc. American Control Conference, pp. 1488-1493, June, 1997.
• Guay, M., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "Measurement of Dynamic Process Nonlinearity," Proc. Adchem Conference, pp. 535-540, 1997.
• Fluegel, P.J. McLellan and K.B. McAuley, "Steady-State Multiplicity and Operability of an Industrial Ethylene Cold-Box Separation Unit," Proc. ADCHEM Conference, pp. 605-610, 1997.
• Guay, M., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "Computer Algebra Methods for Feedback Linearization Using an Exterior Calculus Framework," Proc. American Control Conference, pp. 1385-1389, June, 1997.
• Dadebo, S., McAuley, K.B. and McLellan, P.J., "Interactions Between Production Rate Optimization and Temperature Control in Gas-Phase Polyethylene Reactors," Preprints, DYCORD+ 95, pp. 293-298, Helsingor, Denmark, May, 1995.

Conference Presentations

• "Dynamic and Steady-State Process Investigations Using Functional Data Analysis," Gordon Conference on Statistics in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, July, 2003.
• "Investigating the Impact of Operating Parameters on Molecular Weight Distributions Using Functional Regression Techniques,"Polymer Reaction Engineering Conference, Quebec City, May, 2003.
• "Estimating Process Dynamic Structure Using Principal Differential Analysis," Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Vancouver, October, 2002.
• "A Dynamic Model for Benzene Removal and Degradation from a Gaseous Feed in a Two-Phase Partitioning Bioreactor,"Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Vancouver, October, 2002.
• "Detecting an Diagnosing Performance Degradation in Model-Based Real-Time Optimization Systems," Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Vancouver, October, 2002.
• "Kinetic Model Reduction Using PCA," AIChE National Meeting, Indianapolis, November, 2002.
• "Diagnosing Performance Degradation in Model-based Real-Time Optimization Systems," AIChE National Meeting, Indianopolis, November, 2002.
• "Principal Differential Analysis and Process Control," Iranian Statistical Society Conference, Tehran, Iran, September, 2002.
• "Nonlinearity in Estimation and Control," Gordon Conference on Statistics in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Plymouth, New Hampshire, July, 1999.

Recent Presentations

• McLellan, P.J.,"Investigating Process Behaviour Using Functional Data Analysis", department seminar, McMaster University, November 2004. pdf file
• McLellan, J., "Dynamic and Steady-State Process Investigations Using Functional Data Analysis", invited presentation given at the Gordon Conference on Statistics in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, July 2003. pdf file
• P.J. McLellan, "Nonlinearity in Estimation and Control", presented at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Calgary, August 2001. pdf file
• Benda, M.-A., K.B. McAuley, and P.J. McLellan, "An Investigation into the Nonlinearity of Polyethylene Reactor Operation", presented at the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Halifax, October 2001. pdf file
• Sulieman, H., P.J. McLellan and D.W. Bacon, "Profile-Based Parametric Sensitivity Measures for Nonlinear Regression Models", presented at the Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Halifax, October 2001. pdf file

Recent Funding

• NSERC (Discovery, CREATE), MITACS, Honeywell

Teaching Honours and Awards

• Smith Engineering Leadership in Teaching Award (2023)
• Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA) Award for Excellence in Teaching. Presented by OCUFA, May 1999. This award recognises excellence in teaching amongst university professors in the Province of Ontario.
• Frank Knox Award for Teaching Excellence. Presented by the Alma Mater Society, March 1998.
• Honourable Mention, Frank Knox Award for Teaching Excellence. Presented by the Alma Mater Society, March 1997.
• Golden Apple Teaching Award. Presented by the Engineering Society, March 1996, and April 2005.

Graduate Thesis Supervised

Doctoral Theses:

• David Nielsen, Development of a Partitioning Bioscrubber Process for the Treatment of Waste Gases Containing Toxic Volatile Organic Compounds, 2006.
• Amos Ben-Zvi, Identifiability of Differential-Algebraic Systems, 2004.
• Timothy Ramsay, A Bivariate Finite Element Smoothing Spline Applied to Image Registration, 2000 (Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University) - winner of the Robillard Award of the Canadian Statistical Society as the Best Doctoral Thesis in Canada for the year 2000.
• Hana Sulieman, Parametric Sensitivity Analysis in Nonlinear Regression, 1998 (Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University).
• Sassan Hojabr, Modeling and Optimization of Reactive Extrusion, 1998.
• Martin Guay, Measures of Nonlinearity in Chemical Process Control, 1996.
• Jinghong Li, Experimental Investigation and Mathematical Modeling of Oscillatory Behaviour in the Ethanol Fermentation by Zymomonas mobilis, 1996.
• Martin Pleau, Robust Control of Nonlinear Uncertain Systems, 1995.

Master's Theses:

• John Wong, Fault Detection Application of Alternative Mean-Centering and Pattern Matching Techniques in Non-Repeated Multivariate Time-Series Data Trajectories, 2006.
• Allan Soon, Diagnostics for Nonlinear Regression, 2005.
• Andy Poyton, Identifying Process Dynamic Structure Using Principal Differential Analysis, 2005.
• Colin Breck, Fault Detection for an Aircraft Environmental Control System Using Dynamic Principal Component Analysis, 2005.
• Christine McLeod, Nonlinearity in Time Series, 2004.
• Amar Bin Halim, Detection and Diagnosis of Plant-Model Mismatch for Real-Time Optimization (Dept. of Chemical Engineering, University of Alberta), 2003.
• Ron Dier, The Effect of Process Nonlinearity on Linear Quadratic Regulator Performance, 2002.
• George Pfaff, Information Generation for Real-Time Optimization (Dept. of Chemical Engineering, University of Alberta), 2000.
• Mary-Ann Benda, Nonlinearity and Controller Performance for Product Property Control in a Gas-Phase Polyethylene Reactor, 2000.
• Michael Patton, Describing Uncertainty in State Estimates, 2000.
• Chris Sandink, Screening Diagnostics for Parameter Selection in Extended Kalman Filter Implementations, 1999.
• Susan Cruickshank, Modeling and Optimization of a Xenobiotic Process, 1999.
• Jon Mogan, Modeling and Optimal Temperature Profiles for Steel Ingot Reheating, 1999.
• Judy Leung, Process Nonlinearity and Controller Performance, 1998.
• Andrew Thake, Design of Filter-Based Controllers for CD Control on Paper Machines (Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto), 1997.
• Judy Laflamme, Dynamic Model of Solid-State Polymerization of Nylon 6,6, 1997.
• Sabine Arnold, Dynamic Modeling and Optimal Changeover Policies for an Extractive Fermentation, 1995.
• Richard Piette, Graphical Interpretation for the Relative Gain, 1994.
• Robyn Wilkinson Toffolo, The Modeling of Molecular Weight Distributions Using Laplace Transforms, 1994.