Dawid Hanak

In recognition of the calibre of his PhD, his drive and contribution to the University, we congratulate Dawid Hanak, winner of the 2017 Lord Kinds Norton Medal.

Named after Lord Kings Norton, Cranfield’s first Chancellor, this medal is the only prize awarded across all doctorate students at the University.

“I’m deeply honoured to receive the Kings Norton Medal. I believe it is great to be recognised with such a prestigious award. I think it is a great indicator that I am on the right track to achieve my career goals.”

“My interest in power engineering and the energy sector is mainly due to my willingness to contribute towards the decarbonisation of those sectors and the mitigation of drastic climate changes.

“Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a chain of processes and technologies that remove CO2 from fossil fuel combustion. Captured CO2 is then transported to a storage location or utilised for chemical production or for enhanced oil recovery. 

“The main technological challenge of carbon capture are the high energy intensity and the high capital costs. Recent studies show the cost of electricity can be expected to increase by at least 60% by retrofitting the existing fossil fuel power plants. My PhD aimed to reduce the economic and energy penalties of carbon capture by looking at the different configurations and technologies like calcium looping.

“What I found the most exciting about Cranfield is the encouragement to become an independent researcher. I believe I couldn't have achieved what I have without the support of my supervisors, and the research team at the Cranfield Centre for Combustion, Carbon Capture and Storage”