At Multi-phase Flow Lab (MFL), we study processes and phenomena involving fluid and powders that depicts phase changes and have multiple states. Every research arises from a real application with the aim of solving challenging and contemporary industrial issues. Our lab is equipped with state-of-the-art tools to closely reproduce real-life conditions and to design various interesting experiments. Those are followed by distinct numerical and statistical analyses to verify experimental observations and to provide solutions, enhancements and corrections. MFL is a result-oriented laboratory, and the following industries could benefit from our research.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

The Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) is the part of any drug that produces its effects. It is of utmost importance to understand the product manufacturability as a function of API’s physical properties such as surface energy, particle size, etc. The followings summarize our approach at MFL;

• Develop the ability to design processes based on ingredient and blend properties.

• Minimize materials, time, and money required for process development.

• Understand the effect of material properties on process performance to:

  • • • • Minimize product variability (i.e. Maximize quality)

        • Maximize process productivity

        • Maximize process robustness and reliability

• Design systemic methods for selecting surrogates.

Metal Powder Technology for Automotive Industry

Sales of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing services were more than $7bn dollars in 2018 and is estimated to climb to $35.6bn in 2024 according to Wohlers Report. Introduction of metal powders to 3D printing is changing worldwide industries in ways that were not seen before. Nowadays, 3D printing of industrial components such automobile or aircraft body are becoming new normal. As a rapidly expanding industry, it demands distinct research problems. Here at MFL, I break down metal properties and link them to various part of manufacturing process. The procedure is similar to the one described in pharmaceutical section although the study’s underlying substance is greatly different.

Aerospace Industry

When it comes to aerospace technologies, my research divides into three main categories that are described below;

• 3D printing: there are numerous industrial applications for 3D printing, and amongst the most interesting ones lies the printing of jet engines. Such complex manufacturing will not be possible without meticulous understanding of metal particles involved in the process. At MFL, we offer full metal characterizations of the input metal powders, and their correlations to the final product quality.

• As yet another fascinating subject, we investigate the interaction of liquid and surface at MFL. Formally speaking, we study droplet dynamics on solid surfaces to address the icing issue for aircraft. In that regard, we examine the effect of various surface structures and temperature and other environmental parameters on the creation of ice on wings. These results are then used to modify and design efficient surfaces.

• A way to design desired surface material is through coating. Here, we decode spray characteristics and the evolution of liquid jet in cross flow to enhance processes in plasma spray and thermal spray coating.

As a direct combination of the last two points, we are able to offer full solutions for icing problems (or any related phenomenon.)

Oil & Gas Industry

CO2 corrosion of carbon steel in the presence of water is a major challenge for critical structural components like pipelines in oil and gas industries. A large set of parameters such as temperature, water wetting and metal micro structure influences this phenomenon, but the exact nature of these infarction is not well-understood. As one of the main fields at MFL, I inspect those parameters and their interactions with flow efficiency that is measured as the reduction in pressure drop across the pipeline. Subsequently, I study different approaches for internal coating to design high performance surfaces to increase this efficiency.

Process Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)

I have a personal interest in HSE. To me, it is more than complimentary to other activities in my lab, and I deem that as an unbroken part of my research. Through MFL, I offer detailed studies around

• Critical risk identification and controls.

• Integrated quality and risk management through HAZOP study and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).

Past Research Positions:

Postdoctoral Associate, NSF ERC on Structured Organic Particulate Systems, Rutgers University, NJ, USA

Compliance Advisor

• Supported strategic planning and product development efforts.

• Prepared, reviewed, and edited scientific manuscripts, plan outlines, protocols, and documents for regulatory submissions (e.g., meeting packages, posters, etc.)

• Created, reviewed, and revised SOPs.

• Reviewed and approved project documentation specifications, procedures, schedules, test protocols, and reports.

• Extensive regulatory documentation and Document Control experience.

• Supervised regulatory activities to deliver timely results.

• Ensured policies and practices were reviewed and revised as needed.

• Ensured compliance with regulatory agency regulations.

• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge and understanding of regulatory affairs with regards to pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other related areas.

• Coordinated and prepared submissions to FDA annuals reports.

• Gained knowledge of medical device classifications and 510K submissions.

Project Manager

• Product and process development.

• Pharmaceutical unit-op characterization to develop phenomenological engineering models.

• Developing Residence Time Distribution experiments and models for continuous systems.

• Developing relationships between material properties and performance of unit operations.

• Integrating, analyzing, and verifying models developed for unit-ops.

• Provided over 50 hours of teachings, training, and hands-on exercises on equipment to pharma companies and FDA.

Postdoctoral Associate, Bio-mimetic Surface Engineering Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada

• Experimental and numerical study of droplet impact on laser induced substrates.

Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

• Experimental and numerical study of droplet dynamics and solidification.

• Experimental and numerical study of liquid jet in cross flow.

Research Assistant, School of Engineering, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

• Study of the interactions between foliar fertilizer and leafs surface.

• Study of the cavitation effect on water-jet design.

Research Assistant, School of Chemical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

• HAZOP and Risk Management of oil refinery systems.

• Simulation of the main transporter gas pipeline of South-Pars gas reservoir using HYSYS.

• Simulation and calculation of the heat transfer coefficient in polymer foams.