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 Senior Lecturer of Energy Systems at Centre for Renewable and Low Carbon Energy. He is the Director of Advanced Chemical Engineering Course, and Thematic Doctoral Network Lead for Energy and Power. 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
I am currently accepting self-funded PhD and research applications in the following research areas:
1- Development, characterisation, and testing of CO2 sorbents for decarbonisation of flue gases, biogas upgrading to biomethane, hydrogen 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- Modelling and integration of solid oxide fuel cells in transport and industrial processes
Available facilities:
• kW-scale SOFC/SOEC testing rig• A series of SOFC/SOEC stacks (0.7-5 kW)
• Material characterisation facilities
3- Numerical modelling of
• Gas adsorption, separation, and conversion• Microscale hydrodynamics, heat transfer, chemical, and electrochemical reaction
• 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 - synthesis, characterisation, and bench-to-pilot scale testing of carbon capture materials for industrial carbon dioxide removal, biogas upgrading to biomethane, hydrogen purification, direct air capture, and sustainable fuel production
- Microfluidic and lab-on-chip - particle formulation and production, and sorption analysis
- Process intensification for energy efficiency - integration of fuel cells in carbon-intensive processes, active intensification of gas-solid processes, and heat transfer enhancement
- Reversible solid oxide fuel cell and fuel flexibility - in transport, industrial and energy storage applications
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 (CCS) for industrial carbon dioxide removal, biogas upgrading to biomethane, hydrogen purification, direct air capture• Production of sustainable fuels
• Low- and high-temperature CO2 capture materials
• Adsorption and absorption principles
• Design of cyclic sorption technologies
• Negative-emission technologies
Thermal Systems Operation and Design
• 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
- Wadi B, Li C, Manovic V, Moghadam P & Nabavi SA (2023) Contributions of CH4-amine interactions by primary, secondary, and tertiary amines on CO2/CH4 separation efficiency, Chemical Engineering Journal, 463 (May) Article No. 142117.
- Wang S, Nabavi SA & Clough PT (2023) A review on bi/polymetallic catalysts for steam methane reforming, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 48 (42) 15879-15893.
- Gordon JA, Balta-Ozkan N & Nabavi SA (2023) Socio-technical barriers to domestic hydrogen futures: repurposing pipelines, policies, and public perceptions, Applied Energy, 336 (April) Article No. 120850.
- Bazooyar B, Coomson G, Manovic V & Nabavi SA (2023) Comparative analysis of ammonia combustion for domestic applications, Journal of the Energy Institute, 106 (February) Article No. 101130. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.21429123
- Asibor JO, Clough PT, Nabavi SA & Manovic V (2022) A country-level assessment of the deployment potential of greenhouse gas removal technologies, Journal of Environmental Management, 323 (December) Article No. 116211. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.20427804
- Golmakani A, Nabavi SA, Wadi B & Manovic V (2022) Advances, challenges, and perspectives of biogas cleaning, upgrading, and utilisation, Fuel, 317 (June) Article No. 123085.
- Al Rizeiqi NM, Al Rizeiqi N & Nabavi A (2022) Potential of underground hydrogen storage in Oman, Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology, 27 (1) 9-31.
- Gordon JA, Balta-Ozkan N & Nabavi SA (2022) Beyond the triangle of renewable energy acceptance: the five dimensions of domestic hydrogen acceptance, Applied Energy, 324 (October) Article No. 119715.
- Gordon JA, Balta-Ozkan N & Nabavi SA (2022) Homes of the future: unpacking public perceptions to power the domestic hydrogen transition, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 164 (August) Article No. 112481.
- Nag Srinath A, Pena López A, Fashandi SAM, Lechat S, di Legge G, Nabavi SA, Nikolaidis T & Jafari S (2022) Thermal management system architecture for hydrogen-powered propulsion technologies: practices, thematic clusters, system architectures, future challenges, and opportunities, Energies, 15 (1) Article No. 304.
- Wadi B, Golmakani A, Manovic V & Nabavi SA (2021) Effect of combined primary and secondary amine loadings on the adsorption mechanism of CO2 and CH4 in biogas, Chemical Engineering Journal, 420, Pt 3 (September) Article No. 130294.
- Wadi B, Golmakani A, Manovic V & Nabavi SA (2021) Evaluation of moderately grafted primary, diamine, and triamine sorbents for CO2 adsorption from ambient air: balancing kinetics and capacity under humid conditions, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 60 (36) 13309-13317. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.15155949
- Wadi B, Mahomed A, Bai Y, Osatiashtiani A, Manovic V & Nabavi SA (2021) Formulation, adsorption performance, and mechanical integrity of triamine grafted binder-based mesoporous silica pellets for CO2 capture, Powder Technology, 393 (November) 257-264. Dataset/s: 10.17862/cranfield.rd.15059712
- Asibor JO, Clough PT, Nabavi SA & Manovic V (2021) Assessment of optimal conditions for the performance of greenhouse gas removal methods, Journal of Environmental Management, 294 (September) Article No. 113039.
- Golmakani A, Nabavi SA & Manović V (2021) Production of negative-emission biomethane by twin double-bed pressure swing adsorption with tail gas sequestration, Chemical Engineering Journal, 408 (March) Article No. 127312.
- 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 (24).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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 (8).
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.