Dr Ali Nabavi

Areas of expertise

• Carbon Capture and Storage
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Conventional & Advanced Fuels
• Energy and the Environment
• Low Carbon Technology

Background

Dr Nabavi is Readrer in Energy Systems and Head of Centre for Energy Decarbonisaion and Recovery (CEDAR). He is the Director of Advanced Chemical Engineering Course. He obtained his MSc in Thermal Power and Fluid Engineering with Distinction from The University of Manchester in 2012, where he worked on the development of numerical models for turbulent impinging and swirling jets. He received his PhD in Energy from Cranfield University in 2016, where he developed emulsion-based selective materials for carbon capture, and utilised CFD modelling to optimise their production processes. He then continued working as a Research Fellow on low-carbon energy systems until his appointment as Lecturer in 2018, where he developed a kW-scale solid oxide fuel cell system integrated with a carbonate looping process for simultaneous power generation and direct air capture.

Dr Nabavi has successfully led the delivery of commercial and research projects in clean and sustainable energy systems, including sorbent developments for separation and purification, novel concept prototyping, technology assessment, and computational modelling.

Research opportunities

Dr Nabavi is currently accepting self-funded PhD and research applications in the following research areas:

1. Development, characterisation, and bench-to-pilot testing of CO2 sorbents for decarbonisation of flue gases, biogas upgrading to biomethane, hydrogen production and purification, and direct air capture.

Available facilities:

- Well-equipped material synthesis lab

- Material characterisation facilities

- Gas capture and separation facilities: a number of bench-scale and pilot-scale fixed- and fluidised bed reactors for low- and high temperature (up to 1000 C) gas capture.

2. System integration of solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysers in transport and industrial processes for fuel flexibility.

Available facilities:

- kW-scale SOFC/SOEC testing rig

- A series of SOFC/SOEC stacks (0.7-5 kW)

- Material characterisation facilities

3. Simulation and computationally modelling of

- Gas sorption, separation, and conversion

- Microscale-to-macroscale hydrodynamics, heat transfer, chemical, and electrochemical reaction

- Multiphase flow for emulsion formation (microfluidics, membrane, and stirred-tank reactor)

- Process intensification (gas-solid and gas-liquid systems)

- Hydrogen carrier combustion

Available facilities:

- Cranfield's High-Performance Computing (HPC) facilities

- A number of commercial CFD software, such as ANSYS Fluent.

Current activities

Dr Nabavi's research combines experimental and computational approaches to develop innovative solutions to advance low-carbon energy systems. A major focus of his research is to apply fundamentals of thermofluid, multiphase flow, and reactive transport processes to:

- Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR): Synthesis, characterisation, and bench-to-pilot scale testing of carbon capture materials for industrial carbon dioxide removal, biogas upgrading to biomethane, hydrogen production and purification, direct air capture, and sustainable fuel production.

- Reversible solid oxide fuel cell and electrolysers: Fuel flexibility in transport, industrial and energy storage applications.

- Process intensification for energy efficiency: Integration of fuel cells in carbon-intensive processes; Active intensification of gas-solid processes, and heat transfer enhancement.

- Microfluidic and lab-on-chip: Particle formulation and production, and sorption analysis.

Teaching Activities

Dr Nabavi has a substantial track record of teaching, supervision, and training of students, researchers, and industry delegates, and provides skill training and bespoke courses on the following topics:

Sorption, Separation and Purification towards Net-Zero target

- Carbon capture storage (CCUS) for industrial carbon dioxide removal, biogas upgrading to biomethane, hydrogen purification, direct air capture

- Production and conversion of sustainable fuels (hydrogen, biogas, biomethane, methanol, ammonia, and SAF)

- Low- and high-temperature CO2 capture materials

- Adsorption and absorption principles

- Design of cyclic sorption technologies

- Negative-emission technologies (DAC, BECSS, and weathering)

Thermal Systems Operation and Design

- Conduction and convection heat transfer principles and CFD modelling of thermal systems

- Heat exchanger design and pinch analysis

- Refrigeration and air conditioning design

- Waste heat recovery and thermal storage

Clients

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

Innovate UK

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council

Meggitt

Origen Power

Cadent

ZeroAvia

Epicam

Cambridge Engineering Analysis & Design (CEAD)

Oman LNG

Lapwing Energy

Thermal Energy International (UK)

Publications

• Articles in journals
• Books