Patrick Kenji Takahashi
Encyclopedia
Patrick Kenji Takahashi (born September 6, 1940 in Honolulu, Hawaii
) is an American biochemical engineer
and popular science writer. He has published more than a hundred scientific papers and written four books. He is Director Emeritus of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii
.
. He went on to work for the sugar industry in Hawaii until 1968, when he was sent by the industry for graduate work in sugar engineering at Louisiana State University
, where in 1971 he obtained a PhD in biochemical engineering, with a dissertation entitle “Tunable Laser Irradiation of Escherichia coli.”
He began teaching in the College of Engineering at the University of Hawaii courses such as computer programming, environmental engineering and technology & society. His first research program was funded by the National Science Foundation Research Applied to National Needs program on geothermal reservoir engineering
.
He spent an assignment with the NASA Ames Research Center
in 1976 on SETI
, where he advanced a concept to directly detect extrasolar planets, following suggestions by Charles Townes
. The faculty team published a book entitled, Project Orion. He subsequently spent two summer assignments with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
on laser fusion
.
In the mid-70’s he served as chairman of the Wind Energy Division of the American Solar Energy Society
and helped develop the wind power engineering program for the State of Hawaii. In 1979, Takahashi became a Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga
and drafted bills relating to hydrogen and ocean thermal energy conversion
.
He returned to the University of Hawaii in 1982 as professor of engineering and co-founded the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research. For a decade he held a dual role as director of Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and Vice President of Development for PICHTR, where his team obtained net positive energy for a U.S. Department of Energy open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion facility at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. He also helped initiate a biomass to methanol project for the Center. Each project was budget for approximately $25 million. From the mid-80’s into the 90’s, he supervised over research for producing energy from algae.
and hydrogen. Over a three year period, from 1987 to 1989, he hosted a series of workshops to develop an open ocean system to produce hydrogen from sunlight, marine microbes and genetic engineering.
In the 1990s, his interest began to focus on the Blue Revolution, to utilize the nutrient rich deep ocean water, in combination with surface waters, to produce marine biomass plantations, next generation fisheries and sustainable fuels, while remediating global warming and preventing the formation of hurricanes. In 1992 he was the principal investigator of a blue-ribbon panel convened by the National Science Foundation
and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
to develop a national plan for ocean resources, and produced U.S. Ocean Resources 2000. In 2003, he was asked by UNESCO of the United Nations to present to the biennial meeting of the International Oceanographic Commission in Paris the Anton Bruun Memorial Lecture, presenting a case for the Blue Revolution as an international mission.
For past 15 years Professor Takahashi has also been involved with hydrogen, and in the mid-90’s chaired the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel, which produced the Green Hydrogen Report, which served as the basis for funding the national hydrogen research program. He has widely published in this field, and currently coordinates a biohydrogen program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
) is an American biochemical engineer
Biochemical engineering
Biochemical engineering is a branch of chemical engineering or biological engineering that mainly deals with the design and construction of unit processes that involve biological organisms or molecules, such as bioreactors...
and popular science writer. He has published more than a hundred scientific papers and written four books. He is Director Emeritus of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
.
Biography
Takahashi was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 6, 1940, the son of Doris and Stanley Takahashi. He attended public schools in Honolulu and in 1962 obtained a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He went on to work for the sugar industry in Hawaii until 1968, when he was sent by the industry for graduate work in sugar engineering at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, where in 1971 he obtained a PhD in biochemical engineering, with a dissertation entitle “Tunable Laser Irradiation of Escherichia coli.”
He began teaching in the College of Engineering at the University of Hawaii courses such as computer programming, environmental engineering and technology & society. His first research program was funded by the National Science Foundation Research Applied to National Needs program on geothermal reservoir engineering
Reservoir engineering
Reservoir engineering is a branch of petroleum engineering that applies scientific principles to the drainage problems arising during the development and production of oil and gas reservoirs so as to obtain a high economic recovery....
.
He spent an assignment with the NASA Ames Research Center
NASA Ames Research Center
The Ames Research Center , is one of the United States of America's National Aeronautics and Space Administration 10 major field centers.The centre is located in Moffett Field in California's Silicon Valley, near the high-tech companies, entrepreneurial ventures, universities, and other...
in 1976 on SETI
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
, where he advanced a concept to directly detect extrasolar planets, following suggestions by Charles Townes
Charles Hard Townes
Charles Hard Townes is an American Nobel Prize-winning physicist and educator. Townes is known for his work on the theory and application of the maser, on which he got the fundamental patent, and other work in quantum electronics connected with both maser and laser devices. He shared the Nobel...
. The faculty team published a book entitled, Project Orion. He subsequently spent two summer assignments with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , just outside Livermore, California, is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center founded by the University of California in 1952...
on laser fusion
Inertial confinement fusion
Inertial confinement fusion is a process where nuclear fusion reactions are initiated by heating and compressing a fuel target, typically in the form of a pellet that most often contains a mixture of deuterium and tritium....
.
In the mid-70’s he served as chairman of the Wind Energy Division of the American Solar Energy Society
American Solar Energy Society
The American Solar Energy Society is an association of solar professionals and advocates in the United States. Founded in 1954, ASES is dedicated to inspiring an era of energy innovation and speeding the transition toward a sustainable energy economy...
and helped develop the wind power engineering program for the State of Hawaii. In 1979, Takahashi became a Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Spark Matsunaga
Spark Matsunaga
Spark Masayuki Matsunaga was a United States Senator from Hawaii. He was an American Democrat whose legislation in the United States Senate led to the creation of the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians.-Career:Matsunaga became a United States Army Reservist in 1941,...
and drafted bills relating to hydrogen and ocean thermal energy conversion
Ocean thermal energy conversion
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion uses the difference between cooler deep and warmer shallow or surface ocean waters to run a heat engine and produce useful work, usually in the form of electricity....
.
He returned to the University of Hawaii in 1982 as professor of engineering and co-founded the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research. For a decade he held a dual role as director of Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and Vice President of Development for PICHTR, where his team obtained net positive energy for a U.S. Department of Energy open cycle ocean thermal energy conversion facility at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. He also helped initiate a biomass to methanol project for the Center. Each project was budget for approximately $25 million. From the mid-80’s into the 90’s, he supervised over research for producing energy from algae.
and hydrogen. Over a three year period, from 1987 to 1989, he hosted a series of workshops to develop an open ocean system to produce hydrogen from sunlight, marine microbes and genetic engineering.
In the 1990s, his interest began to focus on the Blue Revolution, to utilize the nutrient rich deep ocean water, in combination with surface waters, to produce marine biomass plantations, next generation fisheries and sustainable fuels, while remediating global warming and preventing the formation of hurricanes. In 1992 he was the principal investigator of a blue-ribbon panel convened by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
to develop a national plan for ocean resources, and produced U.S. Ocean Resources 2000. In 2003, he was asked by UNESCO of the United Nations to present to the biennial meeting of the International Oceanographic Commission in Paris the Anton Bruun Memorial Lecture, presenting a case for the Blue Revolution as an international mission.
For past 15 years Professor Takahashi has also been involved with hydrogen, and in the mid-90’s chaired the U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Hydrogen Technical Advisory Panel, which produced the Green Hydrogen Report, which served as the basis for funding the national hydrogen research program. He has widely published in this field, and currently coordinates a biohydrogen program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.