What Reaction Engineering International does

Reaction Engineering International (REI) is a privately-held R&D consulting firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Midvale, Utah, that develops and applies proprietary computational fluid dynamics (CFD), detailed chemical kinetic, and process modeling tools for the energy and defense sectors. The firm's core technology portfolio includes the GLACIER, BANFF, ADAPT and CFD ONE CFD codes for multiphase reacting flows and pollutant formation; process modeling tools (SteamGen Expert, Kilnview, MerSim); the CFS configured-fireside simulator GUI; the CARM chemical kinetic reduction package; and the FireExplorer fire simulation software. These tools are calibrated against an empirical base of more than 200 utility boilers (coal, oil, gas, biomass, syngas, tire-derived fuel) and 144 full-scale power-plant mercury datasets, and are protected in part by sublicensed intellectual property including the Rich Reagent Injection (RRI) NOx control method. Co-President Marc Cremer is publicly identified as a principal investigator on federally-funded projects.

REI's revenue mix is split between federal R&D contract revenue and commercial industrial consulting. The firm wins project awards through competitive bidding at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DoD — Air Force, Army, Navy), EPA, NASA and the National Science Foundation, including multi-year SBIR/STTR set-asides, plus a steady cadence of larger Office of Fossil Energy awards on oxy-combustion, chemical looping, supercritical CO2 and gasification topics. Federal awards in 2024 alone reached $5.54 million for a DOE-led lithium-ion battery recycling pilot. Commercial revenue is generated from consulting engagements with electric utilities (American Electric Power, Southern Company, Duke Power, Exelon, Xcel Energy), petrochemical operators (Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, Dow Chemical, Technip, John Zink), heavy industrial manufacturers (Georgia-Pacific, China Steel), and reaches international markets through channel partners in Taiwan, Germany, Korea and Turkey. REI also generates modest software license revenue from products such as FireExplorer and SteamGen Expert, sold on a demo/demonstration-request basis.

The business model is consistent with a high-end boutique engineering consultancy: rare technical talent (engineers with BS, MS, and PhD degrees in chemical, mechanical, and computer science engineering), decades-long academic and national-lab partnerships with University of Utah, Brigham Young University, MIT, Lawrence Berkeley, Los Alamos, Sandia and NREL, and tightly integrated research, software development and consulting delivery. With 11–50 employees, no external parent, no disclosed equity investors, and no public filings, REI has grown continuously since 1990 by reinvesting federal contract and commercial consulting margins into additional software capability and adjacent technical capabilities (battery recycling, advanced defense energetics, fire simulation).

Name

Reaction Engineering International

Legal name

Reaction Engineering International

Website

https://reaction-eng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reaction Engineering International is a privately-held R&D consulting firm that develops proprietary CFD, chemical kinetic and process modeling software for clients in the U.S. electric utility, defense, petrochemical, steel and cement sectors, funded primarily through DOE and DoD contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering R&D and CFD Consulting for Energy and Defense

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial & Process Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Waste Heat Recovery & Heat Integration (HRSG/ORC, Pinch Analysis, Heat Exchangers) (EUABAJAF), Reliability, Safety & Risk Engineering (RAMS/PSM) Consulting (BPAHAIAK)

Keywords

• Computational fluid dynamics
• Chemical kinetic modeling
• Combustion consulting
• Emissions control engineering
• Process modeling software

Headquarters

HQ city

Midvale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government R&D Consulting: REI generates revenue through research, development, and consulting contracts with federal government agencies including the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Defense (DoD), EPA, NASA, and National Science Foundation. These contracts fund advanced combustion, emissions control, and defense technology development.
2. Commercial Industrial Consulting: Revenue from consulting services provided to utilities, power generators, industrial manufacturers, and process industries including petrochemical, cement, steel, and pulp and paper sectors.
3. DOE Project Awards: REI receives competitive project awards from the DOE including the 2024 $5.54 million battery recycling award and prior awards for small business research totaling over $1 million each.
4. Software Products: REI provides software products including FireExplorer, SteamGen Expert, Kilnview, and configured CFD models. Demo copies are available on request with web-based demonstrations offered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reaction Engineering International is an R&D consulting firm that delivers CFD modeling, process modeling, and detailed chemical kinetic modeling services for combustion, emissions control, and advanced energy and defense applications. The firm also develops and licenses a portfolio of proprietary simulation software tools (GLACIER, BANFF, ADAPT, CFD ONE, SteamGen Expert, Kilnview, MerSim, ModLink, CARM, CFS, and FireExplorer) and licenses its Rich Reagent Injection (RRI) NOx control technology to commercial partners.

Product overview

Reaction Engineering International is an R&D consulting firm offering a portfolio of proprietary simulation software tools for the energy and defense sectors. The core offering includes CFD modeling software (GLACIER, BANFF, ADAPT, CFD ONE) for multiphase reacting flows and pollutant formation, process modeling tools (SteamGen Expert, Kilnview), specialized mercury modeling (MerSim), chemical kinetic reduction (CARM, ModLink), and configured fireside simulators (CFS). The flagship consumer product is FireExplorer, a fire simulation software developed with Air Force funding. These tools serve utility boilers, industrial furnaces, petrochemical plants, defense applications, and emerging technologies like battery recycling and entrained flow gasification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FireExplorer: Physics-based fire simulation software offering smoke and flame progression modeling using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), realistic 3D preview, graphical floor plan editor, and remote execution capabilities.
• SteamGen Expert
• Kilnview
• MerSim
• CARM
• CFS
• BANFF
• GLACIER
• ADAPT
• CFD ONE

Products and services

• FireExplorer Physics-based fire simulation software using NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), offering 3D visualization of smoke and flame progression. Developed through Air Force funding and offered to defense and engineering users; demo copies available on request with web-based demonstrations.
• GLACIER Three-dimensional multiphase reacting flow CFD code for modeling coal combustion, gasification, and particle-laden flows in complex geometries, including models for slagging, deposition, char burnout, and pollutant formation. Used by REI's industrial and energy clients.
• BANFF CFD code for modeling gas-phase reacting and non-reacting flows with emphasis on NOx/SOx formation, soot, and radiative heat transfer in industrial furnaces, waste incinerators, flares, and gas-fired utility boilers.
• Configured Fireside Simulators (CFS) Tailored CFD models configured for specific customer furnaces or boilers and accessed through intuitive GUI interfaces, intended for non-CFD-expert engineers in utility, industrial, petrochemical, rotary kiln, smelter, stoker, and incinerator applications.
• MerSim Integrated process model developed with EPRI support for predicting mercury behavior in power plants based on fundamental mechanisms. Validated against 144 datasets from 28 full-scale plants and covers oxidation kinetics, fly ash adsorption, SCR impacts, and wet FGD scrubber behavior.
• SteamGen Expert Windows-based program for mass and energy balance calculations for fossil-fueled combustion systems, with modular flowsheet configuration covering furnaces, reactors, heat exchangers, air preheaters, air pollution control, fuel prep, and process operations. Demo copies available on request.
• CARM (Computer Assisted Reduction Method) Software package that automatically creates reduced chemical kinetic mechanisms from detailed mechanisms, requiring minimal human and CPU time and producing FORTRAN subroutines compatible with CFD codes and Chemkin packages.
• ModLink Graphical interface for detailed chemical kinetics computations using networks of idealized reactors (PFR and PSR), enabling efficient investigation of process conditions with automatic stream mixing and property calculations.
• Kilnview Windows-based one-dimensional steady-state rotary kiln model with GUI for process calculations, configurable for mineral processing and waste incineration applications including direct/indirect firing and fuel-rich/lean conditions.
• ADAPT Combustion modeling tool with adaptive mesh refinement targeting applications with disparate scales or critical finite-rate chemistry effects, including robust turbulent mixing submodels and turbulence-chemistry coupling for low-NOx combustion equipment.
• CFD ONE 3D computational fluid dynamics software coupling multiphase reaction, radiation, and CFD for modeling gas/particle flows in complex geometries with emphasis on pulverized coal combustion and pollutant formation, including mesh generation and simulation engine in a user-friendly environment.
• R&D Consulting Services R&D consulting services for energy and defense applications including CFD modeling, detailed chemical kinetic modeling, process modeling, TEA/LCA, emerging technology development, emissions control strategies, and experimental capabilities, delivered as custom engagements to federal agencies and industrial clients.
• Rich Reagent Injection (RRI) NOx Control Technology (Licensed) NOx control technology involving injection of amine-based compounds into fuel-rich regions of furnaces, demonstrated to achieve over 80% NOx reduction in cyclone boilers when combined with overfire air. Sublicensed to Fuel Tech Inc., CCA Combustion Systems, and Fossil Energy Research Corporation (FERCo).

Quantifiable outcome

• NOx reduction of over 80% with combined overfire air and RRI technologies on cyclone boilers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature11 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered international market access, research collaboration, regional coverage, technology development, technology licensing, industry collaboration, product development, technical collaboration, regulatory collaboration, space technology research, national laboratory collaboration, team partnership, academic research partner and research partner.

• Pacific Rim Technologies (PRT)international market accessChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPRT provides REI with access to international markets, specifically the Pacific Rim region including Taiwan. Pacific Rim Technologies offers REI's technologies and services to customers in Asian markets.
• RECOM Servicesinternational market accessChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRECOM Services, based in Germany, provides REI access to European markets. REI collaborates with RECOM to deliver engineering solutions to customers in Europe.
• Korea Electric Power Research Institute (KEPRI)research collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerKEPRI provides REI access to Korean energy market and facilitates joint research in power generation technologies. KEPRI has collaborated with REI on various combustion and emissions projects.
• TABi Engineering and Energy Inc.international market accessChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTABi Engineering and Energy Inc. provides REI access to Turkish and regional energy markets, enabling REI to serve customers in Turkey and surrounding regions.
• PTS Powerregional coverageChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPTS Power provides REI engineering consulting services in the states of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and the province of Saskatchewan, Canada. PTS Power serves as REI's regional representative for these territories.
• Jupiter Oxygentechnology developmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerREI has over 15 years of experience working with Jupiter Oxygen in oxy burner development and evaluations. The partnership focuses on developing and optimizing oxy-combustion burner technologies for industrial applications.
• Fuel Tech Inc.technology licensingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerREI has sublicensed its Rich Reagent Injection (RRI) NOx reduction technology to Fuel Tech Inc. Fuel Tech commercializes the RRI technology for coal-fired generating units seeking cost-effective NOx compliance.
• CCA Combustion Systemstechnology licensingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerREI has sublicensed its RRI technology to CCA Combustion Systems for NOx reduction applications. CCA Combustion Systems implements the technology in their combustion solutions.
• Fossil Energy Research Corporation (FERCo)technology licensingOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerREI has sublicensed its RRI technology to FERCo for NOx reduction implementations. FERCo provides commercial deployment of the RRI technology.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)industry collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPRI is the main research arm of the U.S. power industry. REI has working relationships with EPRI to improve and apply modeling and experimental expertise for utility applications.
• Detroit Stoker Companyproduct developmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough a strategic relationship with Detroit Stoker Company, REI has developed unique tools for application to spreader stokers. Collaboration focuses on stoker boiler modeling and performance optimization.
• Technipproduct developmentStrategic or Co-development PartnerREI works with Technip on pyrolysis furnace technology development. Technip is a global leader in project management, engineering, and construction for the energy industry.
• CleanAir Engineeringtechnical collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleanAir Engineering provides emissions testing services. REI collaborates with CleanAir on modeling and experimental programs for emissions characterization and control.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)regulatory collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA collaborates with REI on emissions control research and development for air quality compliance technologies.
• NASAspace technology researchStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA has collaborated with REI on projects including Advanced Life Support systems and solid waste incineration systems for space applications.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratorynational laboratory collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerREI collaborates with Lawrence Berkeley Lab on computational modeling and simulation research for energy applications.
• Los Alamos National Laboratorynational laboratory collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerREI collaborates with Los Alamos on advanced simulation capabilities including computational frameworks for complex physics modeling.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)national laboratory collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerREI works with NREL on renewable energy and advanced energy technology development projects.
• Sandia National Laboratoriesnational laboratory collaborationStrategic or Co-development PartnerREI collaborates with Sandia National Laboratories on computational modeling and energy research.
• Southern Research Instituteteam partnershipStrategic or Co-development PartnerREI has partnered with Southern Research Institute on DOE-funded projects including the small-scale engineered high flexibility gasifier development.
• University of Utahacademic research partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Utah is a primary academic partner providing experimental facilities (100kW Oxy-fuel Combustor, 1.5MW furnace, pressurized gasifier), research collaboration on combustion and gasification, and access to the Uintah Computational Framework developed at C-SAFE.
• Brigham Young University (BYU)academic research partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerBYU is a key academic partner collaborating on coal combustion research, supercritical CO2 power cycles, and battery recycling projects. BYU provides additional research capacity and university facilities.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)academic research partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIT is a project partner in the DOE battery recycling award, bringing world-class academic research expertise to the lithium-ion battery recovery initiative.
• San Rafael Energy Research Centerresearch partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Rafael Energy Research Center is a project partner in the DOE battery recycling award, contributing expertise to the battery preprocessing research effort.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fuel Tech Inc. Commercial provider of NOx reduction and combustion optimization technologies, including sublicensee of REI's RRI technology. Comparable because both target the same utility/industrial emissions-control customer base with overlapping technical solutions.
• Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC): Federal R&D and systems engineering integrator serving DoD, DOE, and intelligence agencies. Comparable because both compete for DoD energetics and DOE modeling contracts, though SAIC operates at materially larger scale.
• Aspen Technology: Process simulation and digital twin software for chemical, petrochemical, and power customers. Comparable because both firms provide model-based engineering tools (e.g., SteamGen Expert vs. Aspen Plus) for the same plant-optimization use cases.

Others

• EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute): Collaborative R&D organization for the electric utility sector; partner and co-developer of REI's MerSim mercury model. Comparable because both produce research-grade tools and analysis that utilities use to address emissions and combustion performance.

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: Engineering and consulting firm with deep energy, emissions, and environmental compliance practices. Comparable because both deliver technical consulting on combustion, emissions control, and federal R&D programs.
• Siemens Energy (incl. Siemens Digital Industries Software): Combustion simulation (formerly CD-adapco's Star-CCM+) and process-plant engineering overlap directly with REI's CFD and process-modeling software, while Siemens Energy's power generation business competes for the same utility customers.
• Leidos: Large federal engineering and scientific services contractor. Comparable because both target DoD modeling & simulation and DOE energy R&D programs with similar technical scopes.
• Babcock Power (Babcock & Wilcox): Engineering and technology provider to the fossil and biomass power industry. Comparable because both serve utility boiler operators with combustion, emissions, and boiler performance optimization, though B&W is a much larger OEM/integrator.
• Sargent & Lundy: Engineering consulting firm for power plant design, modification, and environmental compliance. Comparable because both work on combustion performance and emissions for utility and industrial clients.
• ANSYS: Dominant commercial CFD/multiphysics platform whose Fluent and Chemkin products overlap with REI's GLACIER, BANFF, and CARM offerings. Comparable because both serve reacting-flow and chemical-kinetics simulation use cases for energy and aerospace customers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reaction-engineering-international

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Reaction Engineering International