• School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston University

      B4 7ET Birmingham

      United Kingdom

    Accepting PhD Students

    PhD projects

    Compact and responsive sorption thermal energy storages: material development, experimental characterisation and modelling

    Personal profile

    Biography

    Ahmed is a Senior Lecturer of Thermal-Fluid Sciences in Mechanical Engineering, and his mainstream research is in sustainable & Zero-carbon heating and cooling technologies and heat storage. Ahmed has been undertaking research projects nationally and in collaboration with other countries (e.g., Rwanda, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana and Egypt) on these research topics. Ahmed is a Principal Investigator within the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) and Aston Institute of Materials Research (AIMR) Centre at Aston University. His PhD/DPhil in adsorption cooling systems was awarded in December 2012. He has extensive first-hand research experience in thermal systems modelling and optimisation. He developed several adsorption/desiccant systems modelling approaches, which other researchers have widely adopted. He worked in 1D engine modelling to study and optimise the electrification of turbochargers, which also included 3D Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) turbine modelling and coupled 1D/3D-FCD modelling. Ahmed published several impactful journal research articles in highly reputable journals.

    Research Interests

    Sustainable cooling technologies.

    Thermal energy storing and upgrading.

    Heat pump and refrigeration.

    Heat recovery systems design and optimisation.

    Funding Applications and Awards

    2023: PI, Africa Knowledge Transfer Partnership (£235k) – Project in collaboration with the University of Cape Coast, Ghana on developing sustainable modular desiccant dryers with logic controller and concentrated photovoltaic collectors to harness solar thermal and photovoltaic energies for electricity and heat generation.

    2023: UK PI, GCRF Networking Grant (£25k) – Cold chain mapping towards nature-assisted cooling in East Africa: Networking and capacity building. Project includes participants from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Sudan.

    2023: Co-I, QR Pump Priming fund (£20k) – Fundamental research on optimising ionic liquids for sorption heat storage.

    2023: PI, Innovate UK, Energy Catalyst Round 9 (£280k) – Off-grid modular cold rooms and pre-coolers for remote and dry areas in Ethiopia.

    2023: Co-I, Innovate UK, Energy Catalyst Round 9 (£299k) – Hybrid Energy Powered Smart Irrigation System for Smallholder Farmers in Pakistan

    2022: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BISE). Waste heat recovery through the rotary heat exchanger in the aggregate processing industry.

    2022: PI, Innovate UK - Knowledge Transfer partnership KTP (£252k). Project on developing a new range of modular energy efficient furnaces in aluminium scrap industry. Aston University and Mechatherm Limited

    2021: UK-PI, STFC Food Network+ (£10k). Project on developing IoT enabled cold chain for the fish market in Africa: Kenya and Uganda.

    2021: PI, Aston Institute of Material Research (AIMR) seedcorn fund (£1500). Developing new adsorbent composite of high adsorption and heat transfer performance.

    2021: PI, The Royal Society, International Exchanges (£12k) – Project on new sorption materials for cooling application.

    2020: Co-I, Africa Knowledge Transfer Partnership (£238k) – Project on solar driven precoolers for psot-harvesting food preservation. Aston University, University of Port Harcourt & ColdHubs Ltd

    2020: CoI, Innovate UK - GCRF - demonstrate impact in meeting the sustainable development (£50k), project on producing clean water in rural villages in Pakistan (led by AIR PUREX LTD).

    2019: PI, Global Challenges Research Fund (£50K). Cooling for Life in Sub-Saharan Africa Stage-1, interdisciplinary approach (Engineering + Business) Aston University and University of Rwanda.

    2019: British council. Workshop on low carbon cooling and heating technologies, Wuhan China.

    2019: Royal Academy of Engineering. Workshop on washing of the inequality in water and sanitation, Mexico City, Mexico

    2018: PI, Aston Institute of Material Research (AIMR) seedcorn fund (£1500). Investigating the potential use of graphene to intensify the heat transfer performance of adsorption systems.

    2017: PI, University of Huddersfield internal QR allocation fund (£33k). Building a baseline thermal driven adsorption cooling system as an energy recovery module.

    Teaching Activity

    Thermal Fluid sciences

    Multi-physics systems modelling and design for electric cars

    Contact Details

    Email:  a.rezk@aston.ac.uk

    Phone number:  +44 (0)121 204 3601

    Room Number: MB154E

    Media Contributions

    Education/Academic qualification

    PhD, Adsorption cooling systems

    MSc, Centrifugal chillers

    BSc, Mechanical Engineering

    External positions

    IMechE - Academic Assessment Committee Member

    2020 → …

    Keywords

    • TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery

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