I have approximately two decades of industrial and academic work experiences in the fields of clean energy systems, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), combined heat and power (CHP) systems, gas turbine power cycles and oil & gas engineering. I received my PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Manchester University in 2010. This followed after an MSc with distinction in Aerospace Engineering and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering (Thermo-fluids) from Amirkabir University of Technology. My PhD research work was directly related to problems currently faced by the energy and automotive industries, where elevated pressures and variable fuel and air flow rates lead to combustion instabilities and enhanced pollutant formation. The best student paper award of the World Congress of Engineering in Imperial College London in 2010 (WCE 2010) and the best research presentation award and the runner-up research poster prize, awarded by British Petroleum (BP), at the PGR-MACE 2009 conference are among my research achievements. More recently, wining the Engineering Excellence Award 2017 for the MSc project I have supervised that helped in removal of black powder impurities from natural gas transmission pipeline with the Ghana Gas Company Ltd. The prestigious award was presented to my student (Mr Frank Kowfie Pinto) on 24/02/2018 by the Ghana Institution of Engineers (GhIE) for working and contributing towards innovative and relevant in Ghana Gas Projects. My newly published paper in the ICCCST 2018: 20th International Conference on Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies conference in Paris has also been awarded with the ' Best Presentation Award”, March 15-16, 2018
In 2010, I joined Cranfield University as a Research Fellow and then promoted to an Academic Fellow in energy processes. During 6 years of work at Cranfield University, in addition to teaching and supervision responsibilities, I managed to actively contribute in proposal writing, technical management and delivery of over £2m research council and industrially funded projects on clean energy and CCS technologies. I have also been the Principal Investigator (PI) of an ERDF&EEDA funded project on a Micro-CHP biofuel system (£83 K). In August 2016 I joined Staffordshire University as a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering where I managed to submit two research proposals: 1- An Innovate UK proposal on the development of a Micro Turbine Renewable Energy Combustor (MiTREC) for a Micro Turbine Generator (total £1.3 M). 2- An EPSRC proposal on Liquid Air Energy Storage and Regeneration (LAESR), a Scalable Instant Zero Carbon Power to Industry, Transport and Grid (total £300k). The MiTREC proposal was successful and now Staffordshire University, as the work package leader of the micro-combustor MTG design, is working with Bladon Jets Ltd and Cranfield University to develop a 12kWe renewable biogas fuelled MTG for the first time in the energy market. Please watch the MiTREC News and this page about this ongoing exciting project
In September 2017, I became an Associate Professor of Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Systems after a successful application to the Staffordshire University Professorial Call 2017, followed by Professor of Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Systems in 2018. I am currently the MSc award leader in Mechanical Engineering and the module leader for the Low-carbon and Renewable Energy Systems for Smart Cities. This module is part of a distance learning dual Masters programme titled “Sustainable Smart Cities” between the University of Alabama in the US and Staffordshire University in the UK. I am experienced in teaching across different Mechanical Engineering disciplines with a focus on the following subjects: Low carbon and renewable energy systems, Thermo-fluids, Heat engine cycles, CCS technologies, Gas turbine and Oxyturbine power cycles, CHP systems, and Mechanical Engineering design. I have supervised over 25 MSc Students and 5 MSc group projects through completion and also supervised/co-supervised 3 PhD students in the fields of CCS and oil & gas projects. I am currently supervising/recruiting 3 PhD students on the projects in the area of low carbon and renewable energy systems. From my research projects, so far I have published over 45 journal papers, chapter books, online reports and conference papers.
I have managed to stablish a strong academic and industrial network of experts that helps me in developing research proposals and applying for both research council and industrial projects funding. I am currently a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a professional member and a committee team leader in the European Turbine Network (ETN) and an academic member of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC). I am also an external examiner for Anglia Ruskin University in the UK and reviewer for the following major energy Journals including: Energy Conversion and Management, Hydrogen Energy, Cleaner Productions, Combustion Science and Technology, Energy & Fuel,Modern Applied Science and Energies.
Professional memberships and activities
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
- Professional member and a committee team co-leader in the European Turbine Network (ETN)
- Academic member of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC)
- Academic member of International Association of Engineering (IAENG)
- An External Examiner in Anglia Ruskin University in the UK
Academic qualifications
- PhD Mechanical Engineering – Fuel & Energy Conversion Systems
- MSc Aerospace Engineering – Power & Propulsion Systems
- BSc Mechanical Engineering – Thermofluids
Expertise
- Conventional and renewable clean energy conversion technologies;
- High pressure combustion and combustion diagnostics;
- Thermo-fluids, heat transfer and thermodynamics;
- Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS);
- Micro combined heat and power systems (mCHP);
- Oxyturbine power cycles;
- Oil and Gas engineering;
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Research interests
I have focused my research and teaching activities on the projects and courses that contribute directly towards society by addressing and resolving current major issues particularly in:
- Conventional and renewable energy conversion systems;
- Low-carbon and renewable energy systems for Smart Cities;
- Liquid Air Energy Storage and Regeneration (LAESAR);
- Micro combined heat and power (mCHP) systems;
- Oxyturbine power cycles for CCS;
- CO2 capture and storage (CCS);
- Oil and Gas Industry;
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems;
- Environmental pollution and global warming
Selected Publications
Journal papers
- Bazooyar, B., Shaahmadi, F., Jomekian, A., Gohari Darabkhani, H., “Modelling of wax deposition by perturbed hard sphere chain equation of state,” Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Available online 9 November 2019, 106657
- Bazooyar, B., Jomekian, A., Karimi-Sibaki, E., Habibi, M., Gohari Darabkhani, H., “The roleof heat recirculation and flame stabilization in the formation of NOX in a thermo-photovoltaic micro-combustor step wall,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol 44, Issue 47, 4 October 2019, PP 26012-26027.
- Bazooyar, B., Gohari Darabkhani, H., “Analysis of flame stabilization to a thermo-photovoltaic micro-combustor step in turbulent premixed hydrogen flame,” Fuel, Vol 257, 1 December 2019, 115989.
- Bazooyar, B., Gohari Darabkhani, H., “Design and numerical analysis of a 3 kWe flameless microturbine combustor for hydrogen fuel,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 44(21), 2019, pp. 11134-11144
- Varasteh, H., Gohari Darabkhani, H., 'Sensitivity analysis of the Heat Exchanger Design in NetPower Oxy-Combustion Cycle for Carbon Capture” International Journal of Energy and Power Engineering, Vol 12, No. 3, 2018, PP 231-239.
- Hamidreza G. Darabkhani, Nelia Jurado, George Prpich, John E. Oakey, Stuart T. Wagland, Edward J. Anthony, “Design, process simulation and construction of a 100 kW pilot-scale CO2 membrane rig: Improving in situ CO2 capture using selective exhaust gas recirculation (S-EGR),” Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, Vol 50, February 2018, PP. 128–138.
- Giuseppe Russo, George Prpich, Edward J. Anthony, Fabio Montagnaro, Neila Jurado, Giuseppina Di Lorenzo, Hamidreza G. Darabkhani, “Selective-exhaust gas recirculation for CO2 capture using membrane technology,” Journal of Membrane Science, Journal of Membrane Science, Vol 549, 1 March 2018, PP. 649-659,
- Fernando C. Barba, Guillermo M. Sánchez, Blanca S. Seguí, Hamidreza G. Darabkhani, and Edward J. Anthony, “A Technical Evaluation, Performance Analysis and Risk Assessment of Multiple Novel Oxy-Turbine Power Cycles with Complete CO2 Capture,” Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 133, 1 October 2016, PP. 971–985.
- Keshmiri A., Craft, T., Gohari Darabkhani H., “Assessment of a common nonlinear eddy-viscosity turbulence model in capturing Laminarization in mixed convection flows,” Journal of Numerical Heat Transfer, PartA: Applications’, Vol. 69, 2016, Issue 2, pp. 146-165.
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Anthony, E. J., Oakey, J. E., “Oxy-combustion Studies into the Co –Firing of Coal and Biomass Blends: Effects on Heat Transfer, Gas and Ash Compositions,” Energy Procedia, Vol. 63, 2014, pp. 440–452.
- Chalmers H., Darabkhani H., and 32 others “OxyCAP UK: Oxyfuel Combustion - Academic Programme for the UK,” Energy Procedia, Vol. 63, 2014, pp. 504–510.
- Wang, Q., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Chen, L. and Zhang, Y., “Vortex Dynamics and Structures of Methane/air Jet Diffusion Flames with Air Co-flow,” Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, Vol. 37, 2012, pp. 84–90.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Wang, Q., Chen, L. and Zhang, Y., “Impact of Co-flow Air on Buoyant Diffusion Flames Flicker,” Energy Conversion and Management (ECM), Vol. 52, 2011, No. 8-9, pp. 2996-3003.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., and Zhang, Y., “Stabilisation Mechanism of a Flickering Methane Diffusion Flame with Co-flow of Air,” Engineering Letters (IAENG), Vol. 18, 2010, No. 4, pp. 369-375.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., and Zhang, Y., “Methane Diffusion Flame Dynamics at Elevated Pressures,” Combustion Science and Technology (CST), Vol. 182, 2010, No. 3, pp. 231-251,.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Bassi, J., Huang, H. W., and Zhang, Y., “Fuel Effects on Diffusion Flames at Elevated Pressures,” Fuel, Vol. 88, 2009, No. 2, pp. 264-271.
Book chapter
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Anthony, E. J., Oakey, J. E., “Oxy-fuel Combustion for Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) from a Coal/Biomass Power Plant: Experimental and Simulation Studies,” Progress in Clean Energy, Volume 2, Chapter 14, pp. 177-192, Springer, USA, 2015.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Jurado, N., Simms, N., Oakey, J., “Co-firing of Coal/Biomass in a Pilot-scale Oxy-combustor: Experiences and the Experimental Results,” Fuelling the future: advances in science and technologies for energy generation, transmission and storage, pp. 34-38, Brow Walker Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 2012 (ISBN-13: 978-1-61233-558-2).
Online Technical/Industrial Reports
Prpich G., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Oakey, J., Pollard S., “An investigation into future energy system risks: An industry perspective,” UKERC online publication, 01 Apr 2014
Sir John HOLMES “The future of hydrocarbons as a global energy source,” The Ditchley Foundation conference, Calgary, Canada, 21-23 October 2011
Conference Papers
- Bahamin Bazooyar, Hamidreza Gohari Darabkhani, “Design Procedure and Performance Analysis of a Microturbine Combustor Working on Biogas for Power Generation”. ASME 2019 Turbomachinery Technical Conference (Turbo Expo 2019). Full paper accepted, 17-21 June 2019, Phoenix, US.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., “Micro combined heat & power (Micro-CHP) systems, a key strategy to meet the Paris Agreement targets in smart cities,” Keynote presentation, Global Summit on Power & Energy Engineering, 18 – 20 February 2019, Dubai, UAE.
- The Micro Turbine Renewable Energy Combustor (MiTREC): Challenges in Design and Modelling of a Biogas Combustor in a 12kWe Micro Turbine Generator (MTG). 2nd European Micro Gas Turbine Forum (EMGTF) conference, 26/11/2018, Altran, Madrid, Spain.
- Varasteh, H., and Gohari Darabkhani, H., “Sensitivity and Techno-Economic Analysis of Leading Oxy-Combustion Power Cycles with Full Carbon Capture: NetPower and Supercritical CES”. 14th Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies Conference (GHGT-14), 21-26 October 2018, Melbourne, Australia. Available at SSRN
- Varasteh, H., Gohari Darabkhani, H., “Varasteh, H., Gohari Darabkhani, H., “Sensitivity Analysis of the Heat Exchanger Design in NetPower Oxy-Combustion Cycle for Carbon Capture”, ICCCST 2018: 20th International Conference on Carbon Capture and Storage Technologies, March 15 - 16, 2018 Paris, France (Winner of the Best Presentation Award).
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Anthony, E. J., Oakey, J. E., “Effect of co-firing on alkali sulfate formation during oxy-combustion,” the 5th Meeting of the IEAGHG International Oxyfuel Combustion - 27-30 October 2015, Wuhan, China.
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Anthony, E. J., Oakey, J. E., “SO3 and Sulfate levels observed and Operational Issues Co-firing Coal and Biomass blends under Oxy-firing conditions,” the 7th Clean Coal Technologies Conference (CCT), 17-21 May 2015, Krakow, Poland.
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Anthony, E. J., Oakey, J. E., “Experimental and Simulation Studies of Oxy-fuel Combustion for Carbon Capture and Sequestration from a Coal/Biomass Power Plant,” Proceedings of International Conference on Clean Energy 2014 (ICCE-2014), pp. 2232-2241, 8-12 June 2014, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Anthony, E. J., Oakey, J. E., “Co-firing Performance of a Retrofitted Oxy-Combustor burning Coal/Biomass Blends: Experimental and Simulation Study,” Proceedings of the 3rd Oxyfuel Combustion Conference (session 4C), 9-13 September 2013, Ponferrada, Spain.
- Oakey, J. E., Hussain T, Syed, A.U., Simms, N.J., Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani , H., ”Fireside corrosion: Implications and solutions for oxy-combustion boilers,” Workshop on Corrosion, 3rd Oxyfuel Combustion Conference, 9-13 September 2013, Ponferrada, Spain.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Oakey, J., Zhang, Y. and Keshmiri, A., “Study of the Flame Structure and Dynamics Using Non-intrusive Combustion Diagnostic Techniques,” Proceedings of the 43rd AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference (AIAA 2013-2605), 24–27 June 2013, San Diego, California, USA.
- Keshmiri, A., Erfani, R., and Gohari Darabkhani, H., “An Investigation into the Failure of a Non-Linear Eddy-Viscosity Model in in Capturing the Laminarisation Phenomenon,” Proceedings of the 21st AIAA Computational Fluid Dynamics Conference (AIAA 2013-2427), 24–27 June 2013, San Diego, California, USA.
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Anthony, E. J., Oakey, J. E., “Kinetic Simulation of a 100kWth Oxy-Combustor using Aspen Plus,” 12th Carbon Capture, Utilization & Sequestration Conference, May 13-16, 2013, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Jurado, N., Gohari Darabkhani, Oakey, J. E., “Simulation of Oxy-combustion co-firing Coal and Biomass using Aspen Plus,” Sixth International Conference on Clean Coal Technologies (CCT2013), 12-16 May 2013, Thessaloniki, Greece.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Banuelos-Saucedo, M., Young, J., Stringer, M., Wright, P., Wang, Q., Zhang, Y., Miles, R. E. and Ozanyan, K. B., “Sensing in Sooting Flames: THz Time-domain Spectroscopy and Tomography,” Sensors, 2012 IEEE, pp. 1-4, Oct. 2012.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Jurado, N., Simms, N., Oakey, J., “Retrofitting Practice of a 100kWth Coal/Biomass Air-firing Combustor to the Oxy-firing Mode: Experiences and the Experimental Results,” The Energy and Materials Research Conference (EMR2012), 20-22 June 2012, Malaga, Spain.
- Jurado N., Gohari Darabkhani H., and Oakey, J., “Oxy-combustion of Coal/Biomass Mixtures in a 100kWth Combustor,” the 11th Annual Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration Conference, Paper No. 240, April 30 - May 3, 2012. , Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Patchigolla K., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Pellegrini Susini G., and Oakey J., “Suitability of UCG gases for Advanced Gas Turbines; Comparison of deep and shallow UCG gases re-combustion and emissions,” the 7th International Conference & Workshop on Underground Coal Gasification, 2-3 May 2012, London, UK.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Oakey, J., and Zhang, Y., “Improving Stability Limits of Natural Gas Buoyant Diffusion Flames with Co-flow of Air,” ASME-Energy Sustainability & Fuel Cell Conferences (ASME-ESFuelCell2011), Paper No.: ES2011 54033, 7-10 August 2011, Washington DC, USA.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., A. Legrave, N., Simms, N., Oakey, J., “Fuel Variability Effects on Gaseous Emissions in a Pilot-scale Oxy-firing Combustor, Burning Pulverized Coal and Cereal Co-Product (CCP) Biomass,” 2nd Oxyfuel Combustion Conference, Paper No. 104, 12-16 September 2011, Queensland, Australia.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., A. Legrave, N., Simms, N., Oakey, J., “Optimum Recycled Flue Gas Ratio in an Oxy-Coal Burner to Achieve Similar Combustion Characteristics to an Air-Fired Operation,” 2nd Oxyfuel Combustion Conference, Paper No. 108, 12-16 September 2011, Queensland, Australia.
- Franchetti, B. M., Cavallo Marincola, F., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Kempf, A. M., “Large Eddy Simulation of a Pulverised Coal Burner under Air and Oxy-Firing Conditions,” 2nd Oxyfuel Combustion Conference, 12-16 September 2011, Queensland, Australia.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., Oakey, J., and Zhang, Y., “Soot Concentration and Temperature Measurements in Co-flow Laminar Propane-Air Diffusion Flames at Pressures up to 7 bar,” Proceedings of 49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Paper No.: AIAA 2011-243, 4-7 January 2011, Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Kumar, P., Pellegrini Susini, G., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Oakey, J., “Carbon Capture Options to Make Environmentally Viable Energy Processes”, UK-China Energy Conference, 8-9 March 2011, Beijing, China (poster presentation).
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., and Zhang, Y., “Suppression Dynamics of a Laminar Oscillating Diffusion Flame with Co-flow Air,” Proceedings of the World Congress of Engineering, The 2010 International Conference of Mechanical Engineering (ICME 2010), Vol. 2, pp. 1421-1426, 30 June-2 July 2010, Imperial College London, UK (Winner of the best student paper award of the ICME 2010).
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., and Zhang, Y., “Pressure Effects on Structure and Temperature Field of Laminar Diffusion Flames,” Proceedings of 48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Paper No.; AIAA-2010-779, No. of Pages: 17, 4-7 January 2010, Orlando, Florida, USA.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., and Zhang, Y., “Impact of Pressure and Fuel Flow Rate on Flame Dynamics in a High Pressure Combustor,” Proceedings of CEAS 2009 European Air and Space Conference, Conference DVD, PP. Day2- Propulsion Session, 26-29 October 2009, Manchester, UK.
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., and Zhang, Y., “Methane Diffusion Flame Dynamics at Elevated Pressures,” PGR-MACE09 Conference, Book of Abstracts, pp. 12-13, 11th June 2009, The University of Manchester, UK (Winner of the best presentation award).
- Gohari Darabkhani, H., and Zhang, Y., “Impact of Pressure on Diffusion Flame Structure,” PGR-MACE09 Conference, Book of Abstracts, pp. 75, 11th June 2009, The University of Manchester, UK (Winner of the 2nd poster prize).
- Bassi, J., Gohari Darabkhani, H., Huang, H.W., and Zhang, Y., “Diffusion Flame Dynamics at Elevated Pressures,” 32nd International Symposium on Combustion, Abstracts of Accepted Papers, pp. 82, 3-8 August 2008, Montreal, Canada.
Teaching
My main teaching activities is in the area of Engineering design, Thermo-fluids and renewable energy and power generation. At present I teach the following modules on the Undergraduate and Postgraduate schemes:
- Low-carbon and renewable energy systems for smart cities
- Modern Power Plants Technology
- Power and Propulsion Systems
- Micro-CHP systems for domestic applications
- Carbon Capture and Storage CCS technologies
- Mechanical Energy Storage Systems
- Energy Management
- Professional Engineering
- Mechanical and Fluid Systems
- Fundamentals of Mechanics and Thermofluids