Contact Dr Ali Nabavi
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 754225
- Email: s.nabavi@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
- Google Scholar
Areas of expertise
- Carbon Capture and Storage
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Conventional & Advanced Fuels
- Energy and the Environment
- Low Carbon Technology
Background
Dr Nabavi is currently working as a lecturer in energy systems at Cranfield’s Centre for Climate and Environmental Protection (since 2018). He received his Master’s degree (Distinction) in Thermal Power and Fluid Engineering from University of Manchester (2012) where he worked on the development of numerical models for turbulent impinging and swirling jets. Further, Ali received a PhD in Energy from Cranfield University (2016), where he developed a series of emulsion-based selective material for carbon capture, and utilised CFD modelling to optimise their production processes. He then continued working as a research fellow on a series of projects, including the integration of solid oxide fuel cells in carbonate looping processes, development of CFD models for energy systems, and development of sorbents for biogas upgrading.
Research opportunity
I am currently accepting self-funded PhD and research applications in the following research areas:
1- Development and modification of adsorbents for CO2
removal
Available facilities:
· Well-equipped material synthesis lab
· Characterisation facilities: SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, volumetric gas adsorption apparatus, etc.
· Gas capture rigs: 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- Integration of kW-scale solid oxide fuel cells in energy and industrial systems/hydrogen production using electrolysers
Available facilities:
· A kW-scale SOFC rig
· A series of SOFC/SOEC stacks (0.7-5 kW)
· Characterisation facilities: SEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, volumetric gas adsorption apparatus, etc.
3- CFD modelling of:
- Microfluidics, including hydrodynamics, heat transfer, and chemical reactions
- Hydrogen-rich combustion
- Process intensification
- Production process optimisation
Available facilities:
· Cranfield’s High-Performance Computing (HPC) facilities
·
A number of commercial CFD software, such as ANSYS Fluent.
Current activities
Dr Nabavi’s expertise covers a wide range of areas in clean energy systems and CCS. He combines experimental and numerical approaches to develop innovative solutions to advance low-carbon technologies and processes. His research focuses on:
- Development and characterisation of polymeric CO2 sorbents for decarbonisation of power and industrial sectors
- Development of carbonates material for direct air capture (DAC)
- Integration of fuel cells in industrial applications
- Hydrogen production and safety
- Microfluidics production of structured particles
- CFD modelling for process optimisation (multi-phase flow, combustion, process intensification)
Teaching activities:
- Director of MSc Advanced Chemical Engineering Course
- Leading Thermal System Operation and Design Module
- Leading Heat Transfer Module
Clients
Innovate Uk
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Cambridge Engineering Analysis & Design (CEAD) Ltd.
Origen Power Ltd.
Epicam Ltd.
Thermal Energy International (UK) Ltd.
Meggitt
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Gao Y, Golmakani A, Nabavi SA, Jiang J & Manovic V (2021) Simulative optimization of catalyst configuration for biogas dry reforming, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Available online 10 February 2021.
- Hossain MA, Nabavi SA, Ranganathan P, Könözsy L & Manovic V (2020) 3D CFD modelling of liquid dispersion in structured packed bed column for CO2 capture, Chemical Engineering Science, 225 (November) Article No. 115800.
- Matuszny K, Borhani TN, Nabavi SA & Hanak DP (2020) Integration of solid-oxide fuel cells and absorption refrigeration for efficient combined cooling, heat and power production, Clean Energy, 4 (4) 328-348.
- Erans M, Nabavi SA & Manović V (2020) Carbonation of lime-based materials under ambient conditions for direct air capture, Journal of Cleaner Production, 242 (January) Article No. 118330. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.9911669
- Golmakani A, Nabavi SA & Manović V (2020) Effect of impurities on ultra-pure hydrogen production by pressure vacuum swing adsorption, Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 82 (February) 278-289. Dataset/s: 10.1016/j.jiec.2019.10.024
- Golmakani A, Nabavi SA & Manović V (2020) Production of negative-emission biomethane by twin double-bed pressure swing adsorption with tail gas sequestration, Chemical Engineering Journal, Available online 13 October 2020, Article No. 127312.
- Borhani TN, Nabavi SA, Hanak DP & Manovic V (2020) Thermodynamic models applied to CO2 absorption modelling, Reviews in Chemical Engineering, Available online 09 March 2020.
- Fayemiwo KA, Chiarasumran N, Nabavi SA, Manović V, Benyahia B & Vladisavljević GT (2020) CO2 capture performance and environmental impact of copolymers of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate with acrylamide, methacrylamide and triallylamine, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 8 (2) Article No. 103536.
- Heenan TM, Nabavi SA, Erans M, Robinson JB, Kok MD, Maier M, Brett DJ, Shearing PR & Manovic V (2020) The role of bi-polar plate design and the start-up protocol in the spatiotemporal dynamics during solid oxide fuel cell anode reduction, Energies, 13 (14) Article No. 3552.
- Fayemiwo K, Chiarasumran N, Nabavi SA, Loponov K, Manovic V, Benyahia B & Vladisavljevic GT (2019) Eco-friendly fabrication of highly selective amide-based polymer for CO2 capture, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 58 (39) 18160-18167.
- Erans M, Nabavi SA & Manović V (2019) Pilot-scale calcination of limestone in steam-rich gas for direct air capture, Energy Conversion and Management: X, 1 (January) Article No. 100007.
- Nabavi SA, Erans M & Manović V (2019) Demonstration of a kW-scale solid oxide fuel cell-calciner for power generation and production of calcined materials, Applied Energy, 255 (December) Article No. 113731. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.9693305
- Fayemiwo KA, Vladisavljević GT, Nabavi SA, Benyahia B, Hanak DP, Loponov KN & Manović V (2018) Nitrogen-rich hyper-crosslinked polymers for low-pressure CO2 capture, Chemical Engineering Journal, 334 2004-2013.
- Aminu MD, Nabavi SA & Manovic V (2018) CO2-brine-rock interactions: The effect of impurities on grain size distribution and reservoir permeability, International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 78 (November) 168-176.
- Hanak DP, Erans M, Nabavi SA, Jeremias M, Romeo LM & Manovic V (2018) Technical and economic feasibility evaluation of calcium looping with no CO2 recirculation, Chemical Engineering Journal, 335 (March) 763-773.
- Nabavi SA, Vladisavljević GT, Bandulasena MV, Arjmandi-Tash O & Manović V (2017) Prediction and control of drop formation modes in microfluidic generation of double emulsions by single-step emulsification, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 505 (November) 315-324.
- Nabavi SA, Vladisavljević GT, Wicaksono A, Georgiadou S & Manović V (2017) Production of molecularly imprinted polymer particles with amide-decorated cavities for CO2 capture using membrane emulsification/suspension polymerisation, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 521 (May) 231-238.
- Vladisavljević GT, Al Nuumani R & Nabavi SA (2017) Microfluidic Production of Multiple Emulsions, Micromachines, 8 (3) Article No. 75.
- Nabavi SA, Vladisavljević GT & Manović V (2017) Mechanisms and control of single-step microfluidic generation of multi-core double emulsion droplets, Chemical Engineering Journal, 322 (August) 140-148.
- Mahrukh M, Kumar A, Nabavi SA, Gu S & Sher I (2017) Numerical analysis of the effects of using effervescent atomization on solution precursor thermal spraying process, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 56 (48) 14231-14244.
- Nabavi SA, Vladisavljevic GT, Zhu Y & Manovic V (2017) Synthesis of size-tuneable CO2-philic imprinted polymeric particles (MIPs) for low-pressure CO2 capture using oil-in-oil suspension polymerisation, Environmental Science and Technology, 51 (19) 11476-11483.
- Aminu MD, Nabavi SA, Rochelle CA & Manovic V (2017) A review of developments in carbon dioxide storage, Applied Energy, 208 (December) 1389-1419.
- Nabavi S, Vladisavljević G, Gu S & Manović V (2016) Semipermeable elastic microcapsules for gas capture and sensing, Langmuir, 32 (38) 9826-9835.
- Nabavi S, Vladisavljević GT, Eguagie EM, Li B, Georgiadou S & Manovic V (2016) Production of spherical mesoporous molecularly imprinted polymer particles containing tunable amine decorated nanocavities with CO2 molecule recognition properties, Chemical Engineering Journal, 306 (December) 214-225.
- Ekanem E, Nabavi SA, Vladisavljeyic GT & Gu S (2015) Structured Biodegradable Polymeric Microparticles for Drug Delivery Produced Using Flow Focusing Glass Microfluidic Devices, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 7 (41) 23132-23143.
- Nabavi SA, Gu S, Vladisavljević GT & Ekanem EE (2015) Dynamics of double emulsion break-up in three phase glass capillary microfluidic devices, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 450 279-287.
- Nabavi SA, Vladisavljević GT, Gu S & Ekanem EE (2015) Double emulsion production in glass capillary microfluidic device: Parametric investigation of droplet generation behaviour, Chemical Engineering Science, 130 183-196.