Overview
My research focuses on the interfaces of reaction and reactor engineering with chemistry, biology and materials science in order to develop more sustainable solutions to current fuels and chemicals production processes:
Algae, Biomass and Biofuels, Flow Chemistry, Electrochemical Reactors, Sustainable Hydrogen Production, (Reverse) Fuel Cells.
Thus my research group devises and applies novel reactor and catalyst concepts, measures intrinsic kinetics and develops new technologies and models to describe and improve on the atom economy, cost and sustainability of our processes.
Funding
- Climate KIK (under review): Aquafarming of Azolla to mitigate industrial waste streams – AzoFaST (Partners: Wageningen University, Utrecht University, TATA, The Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)
- NERC Large Grant (under review): From Science to Policy: Fuels from Algae (Partners: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford)
- Shell plc (under review): Methane to Methanol
- Upgrading of Pyrolysis Oil, Carbon Trust (£,480,000) Co-I (2010-2012)
- CO2 to Fuels, EPSRC (£2,100,000) Co-I (2010-2013)
- Flow Chemistry, EPSRC (£480,000) Co-I (2009- 2012)
- Hydrothermal Processing of Hydrocarbon Reservoirs (Hydra-Pro), KAUST (£125,000) PI (2008-2009)
- Solar Hydrogen, EPSRC (£4,186,000) Co-I (2007-2012)
- Selectivity control in partial oxidation reactions: the role of electrochemical oxygen, EPSRC (£138,131) PI (2006-2008)
- Selectivity control in partial oxidation reactions: the role of electrochemical oxygen, EPSRC (£209,779) PI (2004-2006)
- An extraordinary method of directly measuring partial molar volumes in gas mixtures, EPSRC (£263,603) Co-I (2004-2007)
- Flux response technology: innovation, dissemination and exploration, EPSRC (£288,500) Co-I (2004–2008)
- Quantitative interpretation of the flux response of a catalytic microreactor, EPSRC (£220,729) Co-I (2003-2006)
- Precision measurement of the viscosity of non-ideal gas mixtures, EPSRC (£187,604) Co-I (2001–2004)
- Processing of ultramarine pigments, EPSRC (£427,221) Co-I (2001-2004)
- Synthesis and characterisation of high temperature inorganic sulphide-ion conductors, EPSRC (£201,309 ) PI (2001-2004)
- Production and reforming of biogas, Government of Nigeria, (£60,000) PI (2001-2004)
- A cross-disciplinary diffractometer, EPSRC (£174,445) Co-I (2000-2003)
- IMI: activated carbon haemoadsorbents for the removal of middle molecular weight and other toxins from blood, EPSRC (IMI) (£248,179) PI (2000-2003)
- Remote sensing of the flux responses of a micro-plant catalytic reactor, EPSRC (£209,578) Co-I (1999-2002)
- Electrochemically assisted partial oxidation of propene, Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (£80,000) PI (1999-2002)
Collaborators
Professor Geoffrey Mason, Loughborough University, Flux Response Technology
Dr. Gilbert Shama, Loughborough University, Biofuels
Prof. Richard Holdich, Loughborough University, Emulsions
Prof. Peter Nixon, Imperial College London, Algae and cyanobacteria
Prof. Toru Sato, University of Tokyo, Modelling of algal bioreactors, Kinetics of high pressure CO2 hydrate formation
Dr. Sandie Dann, Loughborough University, Inorganic Chemistry, Pigments, Sulphides
Dr. Mimi Hii, Imperial College London, Organic Chemistry / Pharmaceutical Chemistry
Dr. Iain Cumming, Loughborough University, knowledge based system; polymer - SCF interaction
Research Staff
Cheng,CY
Silverwood,I
Research Student Supervision
Al-Musa,A, Electrochemically assisted partial oxidation of propene
Al-Quathani,A, Knowledge based selection and design of process flow diagrams
Fournier,G, Characteristics of Ammonia Fuel Cells
Gumus,RH, Synthesis production from biogas using Ni based catalysts
Gunvachai,K, Biodiesel Processing over Heterogeneous Catalysts
Hassan,M, Biodiesel Processing
Illing,G, Polyaniline based membranes for gas separation
Johnson,VS, Synthesis and characterisation of potential sulphide conductors
Mirza,A, Liquid phase supported palladium catalysis
Newton,N, Iron based adsorbents for water treatment
Palmer,C, Flux Response Technology for Catalyst Characterisation
Patel,Y, Polyaniline composite membranes for gas separation
Sallah,M, Polymer - supercritical fluid interactions
Treptow,F, Polyaniline as electrolyte in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells