Sachin U Nimbalkar

Sachin U. U Nimbalkar

Group Leader, Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Research & Analysis (MEERA)

Contact

nimbalkarsu@ornl.gov | 865.576.3590

Bio

Dr. Sachin Nimbalkar serves as the group leader for the Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Research & Analysis (MEERA) Group in the Manufacturing Science Division (MSD) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Dr. Nimbalkar has more than 15 years of professional experience which includes working as a Senior R&D staff member at ORNL. Dr. Nimbalkar and his group conduct research; analyze and disseminate knowledge on energy, water, and material efficiency in the manufacturing sector; and develop, deploy, and promote impactful practices, tools, and technologies in the field of energy, water, and material efficiency. Dr. Nimbalkar provides technical support to DOE Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office’s (IEDO) Better Plants and Better Climate Challenge partners through energy roadmap development, baselining analyses, in-plant trainings, and field visits to investigate feasible measures to reduce process energy requirements. Dr. Nimbalkar conducts life-cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis in the areas of sustainable manufacturing, circular economy, smart manufacturing, and water-energy nexus. Dr. Nimbalkar assists AMO’s international activities through technical program management support and planning and development of tools and materials. Dr. Nimbalkar has held several training workshops and webinars throughout Brazil, China, Costa Rica, India, Turkey, and Ukraine, covering energy efficiency in process heat systems and waste heat recovery from industrial process heating equipment and DOE’s Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool. Dr. Nimbalkar is an active member of Sigma Xi, the Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He has achieved the “Qualified Specialist” recognition in using three key DOE energy-efficiency software tools—the Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool, the Pump System Assessment Tool, and the Steam System Assessment Tool. These are comprehensive tools used to evaluate energy-savings improvements in pump, process heating, and steam systems.

Research and Technical Skills

  • Industrial energy efficiency
  • Industrial decarbonization
  • Industrial process heating and waste heat management (reduce, recover, and recycle)
  • Life-cycle energy and emissions analysis, techno-economic analysis, modeling, and projection of energy efficient technologies and innovative manufacturing processes
  • Smart manufacturing and Internet of Things (IoT) opportunities for manufacturing plants
  • Fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermal sciences, and combustion
  • Analysis work using medium plant cross-cutting (IAC) and large plant system-specific assessments (ESAMS) databases and best practices in energy efficiency
  • Communication and work with project sponsors, industry partners, and ORNL technical staff

Education

  • PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, New Jersey (2005-09)
  • MS, Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, New Jersey (2002-05)
  • BE, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering Pune, India (1998-01)

Publications

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Other Publications

Journal Articles and Technical Proceedings

  • S. Sundaramoorthy, D. Kamath, S. Nimbalkar, C. Price, T. Wenning, J. Cresko, "Energy Efficiency as a Foundational Technology Pillar for Industrial Decarbonization," Sustainability, 2023.
  • C. Price, S. Nimbalkar, K. Thirumaran, J. Cresko, "Smart Manufacturing Pathways for Industrial Decarbonization and Thermal Process Intensification," Smart and Sustainable Manufacturing Systems, ASTM International, 2023. 
  • D. Vance, M. Jin, C. Price, S. Nimbalkar, T. Wenning, "Smart manufacturing maturity models and their applicability: a review," Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 2023/4/26.
  • Dong, W., Armstrong, K., Jin, M. Nimbalkar, S, et.al., "A framework to quantify mass flow and assess food loss and waste in the US food supply chain," Communications Earth & Environment 3, 83 (2022).
  • Guo, W.; Wenning, T.; Travis, J.; Stowe, M.; Armstrong, K.; Nimbalkar, S.; Levine, E., "Initial Findings from US Department of Energy’s Better Plants Virtual in-Plant Training on 50001 Ready," Energies 2022, 15, 5341.
  • C. Price, K. Armstrong, Y. Polsky, A. Wang, S. Nimbalkar, P. Chesser, B. Post, J. Su, "A techno-economic framework for comparing conventionally and additively manufactured parts for geothermal applications," Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 72, 458-468, 2021.
  • J. McCall, P. Rao, S. Garcia, S. Nimbalkar, S. Das, S. Supekar, J. Cresko, "US Manufacturing Water Use Data and Estimates: Current State, Limitations, and Future Needs for Supporting Manufacturing Research and Development," ACS ES&T Water, Volume 1-10, 2186-2196, 2021. 
  • W. Guo, D. Cox, T. Wenning, J. Travis, K. Armstrong, S. Nimbalkar, and E. Levine, "Delivering Effective Virtual Energy-Focused Trainings: Successful Strategies and Lessons Learned from the Virtual Cohort In-Plant Training Pilot," International Journal of Energy Management, Journal Volume: 3; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2643-6787, 2021.
  • S. Nimbalkar, K. Armstrong, W. Guo, T. Wenning, K. Thirumaran, G. Accawi, A. Thekdi, “Process Heating Assessments Using DOE’s Manufacturing Energy Assessment Software for Utility Reduction (MEASUR) Tool Suite,” AISTech 2020, Cleveland, Ohio, Aug. 31–Sept. 3, 2020.
  • S. Nimbalkar, et al., “Enhancing Operational Performance and Productivity Benefits in Breweries through Smart Manufacturing Technologies,” Journal of Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, July 2020.
  • W. Guo, D. Cox, S. Nimbalkar, T. Wenning, “Variable-speed Pump Efficiency Calculation for Fluid Flow Systems with and Without Static Head,” International Journal of Energy Management, 2:3, June 2020.
  • W. Guo, T. Wenning, S. Nimbalkar, K. Thirumaran, K. Armstrong, E. Levine, “A New Methodology for Calculating the Energy Performance of Manufacturing Facilities,” Energy Engineering, 116:2, 7–21, 2019. DOI: 10.1080/01998595.2019.12054402
  • D. Vance, S. Nimbalkar, A. Thekdi, K. Armstrong, T. Wenning, J. Cresko, M. Jin, “Estimation of and Barriers to Waste Heat Recovery from Harsh Environments in Industrial Processes,” Journal of Clean Production, 222, 539–549, 2019.
  • M. Malhotra, S. Nimbalkar, A. Shibu, K. Armstrong, R. Samuel, “Plant Water Profiler: A Tool for Determining Water Balance, True Cost of Water, and Water Savings Potential for Manufacturing Plants,” The International Water Conference, Nov. 2019.
  • S. Supekar, S. Nimbalkar, et al., “A Framework for Quantifying Energy and Productivity Benefits of Smart Manufacturing Technologies,” Procedia CIRP, 80, 699–704, 2019.
  • B. Lung, S. Nimbalkar, T. Wenning, “Multiple Benefits of Industrial Energy Efficiency–Lessons Learned and New Initiative,” 2019 Industrial Energy Technology Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18–20, 2019.
  • S. Nimbalkar, et al., “Enhancing Energy Performance and Productivity Benefits by Implementing SM/IoT Technologies,” 2019 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Portland, Oregon, Aug. 12–15, 2019.
  • K. Armstrong, T. Wenning, S. Nimbalkar, S. Glatt, “Innovative Open-Source Energy Software to Drive and Enable Energy Savings and Process Optimization,” 2019 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Portland, Oregon, Aug. 12–15, 2019.
  • W. Guo, T. Wenning, S. Nimbalkar, J. Travis, E. Levine, “DOE’s In-Plant Trainings to Drive Change, Innovation, and Technologies,” 2019 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Portland, Oregon, Aug. 12–15, 2019.
  • E. Levine, B. Lung, S. Nimbalkar, T. Wenning, N. Kelly, Z. Power, “Applying Value at Risk Analysis towards Energy Efficiency Investments,” 2019 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Portland, Oregon, Aug. 12–15, 2019.
  • T. Wenning, W. Guo, S. Nimbalkar, E. Levine, “Innovative Energy Management Strategies and Solutions – What We Learned from Leading Leaders,” 2019 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Portland, Oregon, Aug. 12–15, 2019.
  • K. Thirumaran, S. Nimbalkar, “Energy and Productivity Potential of Electro-technologies in Industrial Process Heating Systems,” 2019 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Portland, Oregon, Aug. 12–15, 2019.
  • W. Guo, T. Wenning, S. Nimbalkar, K. Thirumaran, K. Armstrong, E. Levine, “Comparison of One- and Two-Variable Linear Regression Models and Classic Energy Intensity for Energy Performance Tracking of Two Manufacturing Sectors,” Journal of Energy Engineering, 115:5, 8–25, Aug. 2018, DOI: 10.1080/01998595.2018.12027705
  • W. Guo, T. Wenning, S. Nimbalkar, D. Cox, K. Thirumaran, “Training and Certification Programs on Industrial Energy Systems in the United States,” Plant Engineering, Nov. 2017. Industrial Energy Training and Certification.
  • S. Nimbalkar, W. Guo, T. Wenning, J. Cresko, “Smart Manufacturing Technologies and Data Analytics for Improving Energy Efficiency in Industrial Energy Systems,” 2017 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Aug. 2017.
  • T. Wenning, D. Cox, W. Guo, S. Nimbalkar, A. Taylor, K. Thirumaran, “Quantifying the statistical importance of utilizing regression over simple energy intensity calculations for tracking efficiency improvements in industry,” 2017 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Aug. 2017.
  • W. R. Morrow, A. Carpenter, J. Cresko, D. Graziano, S. Nimbalkar, A. Shehabi, “U.S. Industrial Sector Emissions Reduction Pathways,” 2017 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Aug. 2017.
  • R. Huang, M. E. Riddle, D. Graziano, S. Das, S. Nimbalkar, J. Cresko, E. Masanet, “Environmental and Economic Implications of Distributed Additive Manufacturing - The Case of Injection Mold Tooling,” Journal of Industrial Ecology, 21, S130–S143, 2017.
  • R. Huang, M. Riddle, D. Graziano, J. Warren, S. Das, S. Nimbalkar, J. Cresko, E. Masanet, “Energy and Emissions Saving Potential of Additive Manufacturing: The Case of Lightweight Aircraft Components,” Journal of Cleaner Production, 135, 1559–1570, 2016.
  • A. Thekdi, S. Nimbalkar, J. Keiser, J. Storey, “Electric Arc Furnace Off-gas Enthalpy Modeling – Preliminary Results,” AISTech 2015, May 2015.
  • S. Nimbalkar, D. Cox, K. Visconti, J. Cresko, “Life Cycle Energy Assessment Methodology and Additive Manufacturing Energy Impacts Assessment tool,” The American Center for Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Assessment XIIV: Proceedings, San Francisco, California, Oct. 2014.
  • S. Nimbalkar, A. Thekdi, J. Keiser, J. Storey, “Waste Heat Recovery from High Temperature Off-Gases from Electric Arc Furnaces,” AISTech 2014, May 2014.
  • H. Lu, L. Price, A. Thekdi, S. Nimbalkar, M. DeGroot, S. Jun, “Energy assessments under the Top 10,000 Program – a case study for a steel mill in China,” European Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ECEEE) Proceedings, May 2014.
  • W. R. Morrow, A. Carpenter, J. Cresko, E. Masanet, S. Nimbalkar, A. Shehabi, “Cross-Sector Impact Analysis of Industrial Efficiency Measures,” ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Niagara Falls, New York, July 2013.
  • N. Alkadi, S. Nimbalkar, A. Defontaine, “The DOE’s In-Plant Training Model to Promote Industrial Energy Efficiency,” ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Niagara Falls, New York, July 2013.
  • N. Alkadi, S. Nimbalkar, et al., “Industrial Geospatial Analysis Tool for Energy Evaluation (IGATE-E Tool),” IETC 2013, 35th Industrial Energy Technology Conference, May 2013.
  • S. Nimbalkar, M. Bhandari, N. Alkadi, “DOE’s Save Energy Now Assessments at the Automotive & Supportive Industries in the Supply Chain - Lessons Learned and Results from Over 100 Assessments Conducted in 2006 – 2011,” SAE 2012 World Congress, Detroit, Michigan, Apr. 2012 (oral presentation).
  • A. L. Wright, M. A. Martin, Sachin Nimbalkar, F. C. Schoeneborn, “From Energy Assessment to Maximum Implementation: Reducing the "Implementation Gap" for Save Energy Now LEADERS,” ACEEE 30 2011 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Niagara Falls, New York, July 2011.
  • S. Nimbalkar, M. R. Muller, “An experimental investigation of the optimum geometry for the cold end orifice of a vortex tube,” Applied Thermal Engineering, 29, 509–514, 2009.
  • J. Quinn, S. Nimbalkar, M. Martin, P. Garland, A. Wright, “DOE’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) – Assessment Efforts to Improve Energy Efficiency, Carbon Footprint and Profit in the U.S. Steel Industry,” Proceedings of the AISTech 2009 Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, May 4, 2009.
  • S. Nimbalkar, M. R. Muller, “CHP Program Design: Cost Benefits of Dispatching versus Baseline Operations,” ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, Westchester, New York, July 2007.
  • S. Nimbalkar, M. R. Muller, “Utilizing Waste Pressure in Industrial Systems,” ASME/ATI, Energy: production, distribution and conservation, 1, 229–237, 2006.

Publications: Technical Reports

  • J. Cresko, E. Rightor, A. Carpenter, K. Peretti, N. Elliott, S. Nimbalkar, et. al., "DOE Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap," DOE/EE-2635, US DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
  • J. Cresko, A. Thekdi, S. Nimbalkar, K. Thirumaran, A. Hasanbeigi, S. Chaudhari, "Thermal Process Intensification-Workshop Report," ORNL/SPR-2021/2154.
  • A. Thekdi, S. Nimbalkar, S. Sundaramoorthy, K. Armstrong, et.al.," Technology Assessment on Low-Temperature Waste Heat Recovery in Industry," ORNL/TM-2021/2150.
  • Malhotra, Mini, Nimbalkar, Sachin U., Armstrong, Kristina O., Thirumaran, Kiran, and Garcia Gonzalez, Susana, "Plant Water Profiler: A Water Balance and True Cost Of Water Calculator For Manufacturing Plants," United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.2172/1778088.
  • Armstrong, Kristina O., Garcia Gonzalez, Susana, and Nimbalkar, Sachin U., "Opportunities for Using the Industrial Assessment Center Database for Industrial Water Use Analysis," United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.2172/1767861.
  • Nandy, Paulomi, Wenning, Thomas, Price, Chris, Nimbalkar, Sachin U., Levine, Eli, and Lung, Bruce, "Better Plants Resources for Achieving Science Based Targets," United States: N. p., 2020. Web. doi:10.2172/1694372.
  • Wei Guo, Thomas Wenning, Sachin Nimbalkar, Eli Levine & Bruce Lung, “Industrial Energy Management During a Pandemic: What We Have Learned from DOE Better Plants Program Partners,” ORNL/SPR-2020/1659, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, Draft Awaiting Publication.
  • C. Price, S. Nimbalkar, T. Wenning, “Energy Intensity Baselining and Tracking Guidance 2020,” ORNL/SPR-2020/1566, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, July. 2020.
  • W. Guo, T. Wenning, K. Thirumaran, S. Nimbalkar, and E. Levine, “US Department of Energy Better Plants Program Energy Treasure Hunt Exchange Toolkit,” ORNL/TM-2019/1081, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Jan. 2019.
  • S. Nimbalkar, A. Thekdi, O. Kafka, B. Rogers, T. Wenning, “Technologies and Materials for Recovering Waste Heat in Harsh Environment,” ORNL/TM-2014/619, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Dec. 2014.
  • A. Thekdi, S. Nimbalkar, “Industrial Waste Heat Recovery: Potential Applications, Available Technologies and Crosscutting R&D Opportunities,” ORNL/TM-2014/622, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Dec. 2014.
  • M. Bhandari, S. Nimbalkar, S. C. Davis, “Estimation of Energy Savings Outcomes from DOE AMO’s Technology Deployment Activities – Fiscal Year 2011,” ORNL/TM-2012/204, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Mar. 2013.
  • S. Nimbalkar, S. C. Davis, “Estimation of Energy Savings Outcomes from DOE AMO’s Technology Deployment Activities – Fiscal Year 2010,” ORNL/TM-2012/203, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, May 2012.
  • S. Nimbalkar, S. C. Davis, “Estimation of Energy Savings Outcomes from AMO’s Save Energy Now Delivery Activities – Fiscal Year 2009,” ORNL/TM-2010/342, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Dec. 2010.
  • A. Wright, M. Martin, S. Nimbalkar, J. Quinn, S. Glatt, B. Orthwein, “Results from the U.S. DOE 2008 Save Energy Now Assessment Initiative: Detailed Assessment Opportunity Data Report,” ORNL/TM-2010/146, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Sept. 2010.
  • S. Nimbalkar, S. C. Davis, M. Martin, “Estimation of Energy Savings Outcomes from AMO’s Save Energy Now Delivery Activities – Fiscal Year 2008,” ORNL/TM-2009/309, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Mar. 2010.
  • S. Nimbalkar, M. Martin, “Projections of Superior Energy Performance (SEP) Energy and CO2 Benefits,” ORNL/TM-2009/189, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Oct. 2009.

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