No Open Positions for NEW graduate students and PDFs


Graduate students supervised


  • Nikita Petrachkov (Co-supervised with Prof. A. Komrakova ), U of A, Canada.

  • PhD thesis: Heat transfer in packed beds. 01/2024-12/2027.
    Status: start 01/2024.


    • Andres Arriagada Romero (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Hayes and Prof. M. Toledo), U of A, Canada.

    • PhD thesis: Solar driven fixed bed gasifiers. 09/2022-08/2025.
      Status: started 09/2022.


      • Henry Steven Fabian-Ramos (Co-supervised with Prof. A. Rajendran), U of A, Canada.

      • PhD thesis: Multidimensional computational fluid dynamics(CFD)-based modeling of the heat and mass transfer in adsorption columns. 09/2021-08/2025.
        Status: started 09/2021.


        • Doston Shayunusov (Co-supervised with Prof. H. Zeng and Prof. D. Eskin), U of A, Canada.

        • PhD thesis: CFD-based modeling of flow-assisted demulsification to enhance removal of water drops and fine solids. 01/2021-09/2024.
          Status: started 01/2021.


          • Chinmay Ravindra Baliga, U of A, Canada.

          • MSc thesis: Heat and Mass Transfer in Adsorption Columns. 09/2021-09/2023.
            Status: completed.


            • Yuvraj Singh Baath (Co-supervised with Prof. R. Gupta), U of A, Canada.

            • MSc thesis: Experimental and numerical verifications of new methods to predict intrinsic gasification kinetics of char from MSW (Municipal Solid Waste) components using TGA.. 09/2019-08/2021.
              Status: completed.


              • Yi Ran Lu, U of A, Canada.

              • PhD thesis: Multi-scale modeling of steam methane reformer heated by electrical current. 09/2018-04/2022.
                Status: completed.


                • Ivan Gornejo Garcia (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Hayes), U of A, Canada.

                • PhD thesis: Multiscale modeling of an automotive catalytic converter. 09/2016-02/2020.
                  Status: completed.


                  • Hongbo Shi, (Co-supervised with Prof. Q. Liu), U of A, Canada.

                  • PhD thesis: Numerical modeling of caviation phenomena in multi-phase flows. 09/2017-04/2020.
                    Status: completed.


                    • Ileana Vega Mesquida (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Hayes), U of A, Canada.

                    • MSc thesis: CFD-based modeling of gasoline-particulate-filters. 09/2017-04/2019.
                      Status: completed.


                      • Wendy Zhang (Co-supervised with Prof. A. Komrakova), U of A, Canada.

                      • MSc thesis: Implementation and validation of TVD schemes for modeling of multiphase flows.2017-2019.
                        Status: completed.


                        • Xiaomeng Li, U of A, Canada.

                        • MSc thesis: CFD-based microscale numerical studies of oil separation from sand particles. 2017-2019.
                          Status: completed.


                          • Hongbo Shi (Co-supervised with Prof. A. Komrakova), U of A, Canada.

                          • MSc thesis: Numerical modeling of fluidized beds. 2016-2017.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Yi Ran Lu, U of A, Canada.

                          • MSc thesis: Modeling of energy and heat storage fixed-bed reactors using Discrete Element Method. 2016-2018.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Asif Mammadov (Co-supervised with Prof. Z. Xu), U of A, Canada.

                          • MSc thesis: Computational assessments on bubble dynamics applied to flotation cells. 2015-2016.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Hamed Sepehr (Co-supervised with Prof. S. Sanders), U of A, Canada.

                          • PhD thesis: Effects of turbulent flows on the coalescence of oil droplets in SAGD emulsions. 2015-2019.
                            Status: not yet completed.


                          • Hemant Bansal, U of A, Canada.

                          • MSc thesis: Numerical and semi-empirical modeling of particles undergoing phase change under the influence of convection. 2014-2016.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Olawale Ajuwon (Co-supervised with Prof. R. Gupta), U of A, Canada.

                          • MSc thesis: Experimental and numerical study of particles heating using DC discharge. 2013-2015.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Md Omar Reza, U of A, Canada.

                          • MSc thesis: CFD-based modeling of multiphase flows: from spouted beds to hydraulic fracturing. 2013-2015.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Pankaj Kumar Sahu, U of A, Canada.

                          • MSc thesis:Numerical modeling of chemically reacting carbon particles in dense particulate media. 2013-2015.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Dip. Ing. Andre Bader (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Meyer), T U B A F, Germany.

                          • PhD thesis: CFD-based modeling of a heavy oil gasifier, 2012-2014.
                            Status: completed (2018).


                          • Dip. Ing. Thomas Foerster (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Meyer), T U B A F, Germany.

                          • Three-dimensional numerical modeling of hybrid gasifiers of the 3rd generation, 2012-2013.


                          • Dip. Ing. Sebastian Schulze (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Meyer), T U B A F, Germany.

                          • PhD thesis: Numerical modeling of gas flows in chemically reacting fixed-bed systems, 2011-2016.
                            Status: completed (2018).


                          • Dip. Math. Kay Wittig (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Meyer), T U B A F, Germany.

                          • PhD thesis: Three-dimensional numerical modeling of heat and fluid flows through porous and past solid objects, 2010-2016.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Dip. Ing. Matthias Kestel (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Meyer), T U B A F, Germany.

                          • PhD thesis: Numerical modeling of moving carbonaceous particle conversion in hot environments, 2009-2016.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Dip. Chem. Robin Schmidt (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Meyer) , T U B A F, Germany.

                          • PhD thesis: Direct numerical simulations of heat and mass transfer in systems with moving particles, 2009-2013.
                            Status: completed.


                          • Dip. Math. Frank Dierich (Co-supervised with Prof. B. Meyer), T U B A F, Germany.

                          • PhD thesis: Numerical modeling of phase-change phenomena in chemically reacting particles, 2009-2015.
                            Status: not yet completed.


                          • Sebastian Schulze, T U B A F, Germany.

                          • Engineer Diploma thesis: Numerical and analytical study of coal particle behaviour in high-temperature CO2/H2O gases, 2011.
                            Status: completed.


                          Undergraduate students supervised


                        • Mr. Gordon Lu. U of A, CME 458. 2022.

                        • Experimental and numerical investigation of a plate cooling due to natural convection.


                        • Mr. Alex Hornig. U of A, CME 459. 2020.

                        • Modeling of oil/water gravity driven separation.


                        • Mr. Stanley Li. U of A, CME 459. 2020.

                        • Energy storage using steam methane reforming.


                        • Mr. Khalid Habaka. U of A, CME 459. 2018.

                        • Numerical modeling of turbulent heat transfer in circular pipes.


                        • Mr. Jerry Ng. U of A, CME 459. 2018.

                        • Modeling natural convection in tailing ponds.


                        • Ms. Rosanne Tam. U of A, 2016/2017.

                          • CFD modeling of a phase change driven fouling in heat exchangers. CME 458, U of A, Fall 17.

                          • Modeling of water freezing in pipelines. Dean Research Program, U of A, Fall 16.


                      • Mr. Dilgam Israfilov. U of A, CME 458. 2016.

                      • Phase-change phenomena in tailing ponds.


                      • Ms. Wendy Zhang. U of A, May-August 2015. Co-supervised with Prof. H. Henein.

                      • Microscale numerical modeling of droplet solidification.


                        • Mr. Yi Ran Lu. U of A, CME 459/458. 2014/2015.

                          • Computational modeling of mono and poly-disperse spherical particles packed in enclosures with different geometries.

                          • Computational modeling of current and temperature distribution in an electrically heated fixed bed reactor consisting of spherical particles.


                        Visiting Students


                        • Philip Roessger, CIC Virtuhcon, Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany.

                        • Numerical modeling of coal/biomass gasification using Euler-Euler-based model available in Ansys-Fluent 16.2. Development of an intrinsic-based model for particles and its implementation using UDF. 2016-2017


                        • Sebastian Schulze, CIC Virtuhcon, Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany.

                        • Development of numerical models for high-temperature conversion processes applied to dense particulate media (TGA, fixed beds), January-June 2015.


                        • Andre Bader, (co-supervised with Prof. R. Gupta), Institute of Energy Process Engineering and Chemical Engineering, Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany.

                        • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-based modeling of a heavy oil gasification, submodel development and validation. 3D simulations using Yade-DEM software, June-November 2014.


                        Supervision of Postdoctoral researchers


                        • Dr. Hongbo Shi, (co-supervised with Dr. H. Zeng) University of Alberta, Canada.

                        • Numerical simulation of oil/water droplets dynamics in different shear flows, 2020.


                          • Dr. Hassan Khodaie, University of Alberta, Canada.

                          • Numerical simulation and experimental validation of a large scale industrial biochar plant, 2018.


                          • Dr. Ing. Andreas Richter, CIC Virtuhcon, Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany.

                          • Numerical modeling of drag forces and heat transfer coefficients for non-spherical particles, 2010-2013.


                          • Dr. Ing. Dmitry Safronov, CIC Virtuhcon, Technische Universitaet Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany.

                          • Development and validation of fixed-grid methods for tracking chemically reacting interfaces, 2009-2013.


                          • Dip. Ing. Sergey Ananiev, Institute of Aerospace Engineering, Dresden University of Technology, Germany.

                          • Numerical study of the influence of electric fields on the microstructure of solidified materials, 2007-2008.