Chandreshekar Sonwane

Chandrashekar Sonwane (born May 2, 1972) is an Indian American scientist at Aerojet Rocketdyne, Canoga Park, California. He is also an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Shekar is member of Space Launch System (NASA), Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Fellow of Institute of Engineering and Technology, Fellow of Institution of Chemical Engineers, Fellow of Engineers Australia, and Fellow of Royal Australian Chemical Institute.

Shekar is known significant contributions to the space launch, air breathing propulsion and chemical and power industries and is supporting Aerojet Rocketdyne efforts in several space/defense including: Space Launch System (NASA) – Manned mission to Mars, The DARPA XS-P Phantom Express Reusable Launcher, The development of affordable solid rocket motors for tactical and space applications (DOD) and the maturation of rotating detonation engine technology for power, space propulsion and defense applications (ARPA-E & DOE). Shekar is specifically known for his patents and Applications around the globe. He has led patent applications in China, Japan, Europe, United States and other parts of the world.

Early life and education
Chandrashekhar was born on May 2, 1972, in Nanded, Maharashtra, India. He studied in Zilla Parishad Multipurpose Boys School, Pratibha Niketan High School and Science College Nanded. In 1994 he graduated with a BSc in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. In 1996, he received MSc in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India. He then moved to Australia and was completed a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Queensland in 2000. He is currently living in the United States and holds US citizenship.

Professional career
Shekar was associated with several universities during his undergraduate, postgraduate and post-doctoral studies. These include the University of California at Berkeley, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, Unilever India Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, and Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan. He worked at US National Institute of Standards and Technology and General Electric, Gas Turbines in Greenville, SC. He joined Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (which late became Aerojet Rocketdyne) in 2009 and is still working with them as Specialist Scientist. This is where he has been involved in a few projects that are benefiting United States Space as well as Defense industries. These include Space Launch System, Torpedoes, Rockets and other propulsion systems. He has invented more than 50 patents and patent applications globally. He has published 30 journal articles, 40 conference papers, and 20 company reports. Meanwhile, he enjoyed teaching at different schools and colleges. He also volunteers as Chairman of Board American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) for Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Achievements
Shekar received many awards and elected with Fellow grade memberships.


 * 2019 – Chairman of Board, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Los Angeles-Las Vegas
 * 2019 - Elected Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society
 * 2019 - Chemists Celebrate Earth Week Coordinator, American Chemical Society
 * 2018 - Board member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, membership chair
 * 2018 - Board member, American Chemical Society
 * 2018 - Elected Fellow of Institution of Chemical Engineers (FIChemE)
 * 2018 - Elected Member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts
 * 2018 - Elected Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS)
 * 2018 - Elected Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (FIET)
 * 2018 - Elected Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust)
 * 2018 - Elected Fellow of Royal Australian Chemical Institute (FRACI)

Patents and applications

 * US Patent # 9,917,319, Gas generator and process therefor (Chandrashekhar Sonwane with Stephen Yows)
 * US Patent # 8,833,076, Thermal Storage System (Chandrashekhar Sonwane)
 * US Patent # 8,851,406, Pump apparatus including de-consolidator (Chandrashekhar Sonwane with Timothy Saunders and Mark Fitzsimmons
 * US Patent # 8,887,503, Recuperative supercritical carbon dioxide cycle (Chandrashekhar Sonwane with Kenneth Sprouse, Ganeshan Subbaraman, George O’Connor, Gregory Johnson)
 * US Patent # 8,007,570 Systems, methods, and apparatus for capturing CO2 using a solvent (Chandrashekhar Sonwane with Samuel Draper)
 * US Patent # 8,968,430 Dewatering system and process for increasing the combined cycle efficiency of a coal powerplant (Chandrashekhar Sonwane with Samuel Draper and David Polizzotti)
 * US Patent # 9,080,115 Flow splitter for a compact gasification reactor system (Chandrashekhar Sonwane with Kenneth Sprouse)
 * US Patent Application # 20160322660 GAS GENERATOR AND PROCESS THEREFOR
 * US Patent Application # 20150175919 DEWATERING SYSTEM FOR INCREASING THE COMBINED CYCLE EFFICIENCY OF A COAL POWERPLANT
 * US Patent Application # 20140294695 INJECTOR MIXER FOR A COMPACT GASIFICATION REACTOR SYSTEM
 * US Patent Application # 20140102001 FLOW SPLITTER FOR A COMPACT GASIFICATION REACTOR SYSTEM
 * US Patent Application # 20140060002 REGENERATIVE TURBINE FOR POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
 * US Patent Application # 20140020675 SOLAR RECEIVER
 * US Patent Application # 20130333572 SEPARATOR APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING A GAS STREAM
 * US Patent Application # 20130269345 RETROFIT FOR POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
 * US Patent Application # 20130269334 POWER PLANT WITH CLOSED BRAYTON CYCLE
 * US Patent Application # 20130145759 LOW COST AND HIGHER EFFICIENCY POWER PLANT
 * US Patent Application # 20120321444 PUMP APPARATUS INCLUDING DECONSOLIDATOR
 * US Patent Application # 20110314812 THERMAL STORAGE SYSTEM
 * US Patent Application # 20110078948 ASH REMOVAL FROM COAL: PROCESS TO AVOID LARGE QUANTITIES OF HYDROGEN FLUORIDE ON-SITE
 * US Patent Application # 20110030593 Method for desulfurizing a fluid and methods for operating a coal combustion system
 * US Patent Application # 20110030271 Method for removing impurities from coal in a reaction chamber
 * US Patent Application # 20110030270 Methods for removing impurities from coal including neutralization of a leaching solution
 * US Patent Application # 20100287827 PROCESS FOR OBTAINING TREATED COAL AND SILICA FROM COAL CONTAINING FLY ASH

Publications

 * C. G. Sonwane, J. Wilcox and Y. H. Ma, “Achieving optimum hydrogen permeability in PdAg and PdAu alloys” Journal of Chemical Physics, 2006, 125, 184714.
 * C. G. Sonwane, J. Wilcox and Y. H. Ma, “Solubility of hydrogen in PdAg and PdAu binary alloys using density functional theory” Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2006, 110, 24549.
 * C. G. Sonwane and P. J. Ludovice, “A note on micro-and mesopores in the walls of SBA-15 and hysteresis of adsorption isotherms” Journal of Molecular Catalysis. A: Chemical, 2005, 238, 135-137.
 * C. G. Sonwane and Q. Li, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2005, 7, 3501 – 3506.
 * C. G. Sonwane and Q. Li, “Structure and transport properties of nanostructured materials” Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 109, 2005, 5691-5699.
 * C. G. Sonwane and Q. Li, “Molecular simulation of RMM: ordered mesoporous SBA-15 type material having microporous ZSM-5 walls,” Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2005, 109, 17993-17997.
 * C. G. Sonwane, C. W. Jones and P. J. Ludovice, “A model for the structure of MCM-41 incorporating surface roughness”, Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 109, 23395-23404, 2005.
 * D. Mukherjee, C. G. Sonwane, M. R. Zachariah, Journal of Chemical Physics, 2004, 119, 3391-3404.
 * C. G. Sonwane and S. K. Bhatia, Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2000, 104, 9099-9110.
 * P. Selvam, S. K. Bhatia and C. G. Sonwane, “Recent advances in processing and characterization of periodic mesoporous MCM-41 silicate molecular sieves” Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 2001, 40, 3237-3261.
 * C. G. Sonwane and S. K. Bhatia, Separations and Purification Technology, 2000, 21, 25-39.
 * S. K. Bhatia and C. G. Sonwane, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, 2000, 128, 187-196.
 * C. G. Sonwane, A. D. McLennan, S. K. Bhatia, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, 2000, 128, 197-205.
 * C. G. Sonwane and S. K. Bhatia, Ed., Do, D. D., Adsorption Science and Technology, World Scientific, Singapore, 2000, 86-90.
 * C. G. Sonwane and S. K. Bhatia, in Ed. Do, D. D., Adsorption Science and Technology, World Scientific, Singapore, 2000, 91-95.
 * C. G. Sonwane and Bhatia, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, 2000, 129, 607-615.
 * C. G. Sonwane and S. K. Bhatia, Langmuir, 1999, 15, 2809-2816.
 * C. G. Sonwane, S. K. Bhatia and N. Calos, Langmuir, 1999, 15, 4603-4612.
 * C. G. Sonwane and S. K. Bhatia, Langmuir, 1999, 15, 5347-5354.
 * C. G. Sonwane, L. G. Bhatgadde, J. R. Bellare and Q. Li, Journal of Materials Science Letters, 1999, 18, 1205-1208, 19. (Figure in the paper appeared on the cover page of the journal)
 * C. G. Sonwane and S. K. Bhatia, Chem. Eng. Sci., 1998, 53, 3143-3156.
 * C. G. Sonwane, S. K. Bhatia, and N. Calos, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 1998, 37, 2271-2283.
 * S. K. Bhatia and C. G. Sonwane, Langmuir, 1998, 37, 2271-2224.
 * C. Nguyen, C. G. Sonwane, S. K. Bhatia and D. D. Do, Langmuir, 1998, 14, 4950-4952.
 * S. K. Bhatia and C. G. Sonwane, Studies in Surface Science and Catalysis, 2000, 128, 187-196.

Personal life
Shekar is married to Anupam Gupta, an urgent care physician of Indian roots.