Research

Current research areas:

• Process Control – Model based Control, Unstable Systems, Reinforcement Learning based  Control, Nonlinear Control

• Wastewater Treatment – Optimization, Monitoring, Soft-sensing, Advanced Control, Resource Recovery, Circular Economy

• Hybrid Energy Systems - Modeling and Control

• Modeling, Optimization and Control of Electrolyzers for Hydrogen Production

• Process Dynamics – Nonlinear Dynamics and Analysis, Bifurcation

• Machine Learning

• Redox Flow Batteries - Modeling and Control

Research Funding:

On-going:

1. Development of soft-sensor for Ammonia in wastewater treatment plant operation and control, DST Funding under India – Austria joint call, Rs. 14.9 Lakhs, 2025 - 2027 

2. Co-PI in NTPC funded project titled 'H2 generation from Sea water through Flue gas desalination (GH2-FGSW DeSal Plant)', 34 Crores, 2024-2030.

3. Learning approaches for prediction in wastewater treatment plants, IRG, Rs. 28 Lakhs, 2023 - 2026 

4. Advanced control of complex pharmaceutical processes, SPARC project, Co-PI from India: Prof. T. K. Radhakrishnan, PI and Co-PIs from USA: Prof. Zoltan K. Nagy and Prof. Doraiswmai Ramakrishna, Purdue University, Rs. 48.90 Lakhs, 2023 - 2025 

5. Machine learning methods for water quality estimation and control in water resource recovery facilities Towards Circular Economy and Sustainability, DST Funding under India – Canada joint call, Rs. 39.44 Lakhs, 2023 - 2025 

Completed:

1. Advanced control of chemical processes involving time delays, funded by DST under fast track scheme for young scientists, Rs. 18 Lakhs, 2010-2013.

2. DST Travel grant to attend IFAC conference, Brescia, Italy, 2012. (Rs. 1.2 Lakhs)

3. Advanced modeling, control and decision support tools for flexible and optimal water treatment plants, Indo-European networking project funded by New INDIGO - DST (www.newindigo-atwat.com),  with partners from NCL, Pune (India), PEC, Pondicherry (India), University of Gent (Belgium), University of Girona (Spain), Catalan Water Agency (Spain), Euro 1,00,000, 2012-2014.

4. NMEICT-MHRD sponsored Pedagogy project for development of course modules for Instrumentation & Process Control, 2013-2014. (Principal developer: Prof. T. K. Radhakrishnan, NIT Trichy)

5. MHRD sponsored RSG grant worth Rs. 4.5 Lakhs for the project Advanced modeling and control of biological waste water treatment plants, 2014-2015.

6. Advanced control of wastewater treatment plants for improved effluent quality, cost reduction and effluent violations removal, SERB-Extra Mural Research Funding, Rs. 40.4 Lakhs, 2017-2020.

7. Nonlinear model predictive control of wastewater treatment plants, Indian National Science Academy (INSA)-German Research Foundation (DFG) funding under  Bilateral Exchange Programme 2019, INR and  Euro 5250, 2019. 

8. Development of Advanced Automatic Control based Wastewater Treatment Process towards Sustainable Water-Energy-Food Nexus, DST Funding under Water Technology Initiative (WTI) scheme, Rs. 67.48 Lakhs, 2021 - 2024.

Invited Talks:

Delivered invited talks at the following places. 

• Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Zurich, Switzerland

• NIT Calicut

• MNIT Jaipur

• Government Engineering College, Thrissur

• NIT, Trichy

• Kyung Hee University, South Korea

• Anna University, Trichy

• Kalasalingam University, Krishnankoil, Tamilnadu

• Shastra University, Tanjavur, Tamilnadu

• IIT Madras, Chennai

• Ghent University, Belgium

• Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India

• SVU College of Engineering, Tirupathi, India

• Madras Institute of Technology(MIT), Chennai

• BVRIT, Hyderabad

• Technical University of Dortmund, Germany