Kumaran Kannaiyan
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering (Robotics) Program
Office: R316
- Education:
2009: Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), India (Advisor: Prof. Babu Viswanathan).
2006: M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), India.
2001: B.Eng., Mechanical Engineering, Madurai Kamaraj University, India.
Research Interests (applications):
Alternative – Low GWP working fluids (Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning, ORC, Waste-Heat Recovery).
Alternative fuels (Aviation, Biofuels).
Multiphase Thermo-fluid characteristics.
Spray (Cooling, Healthcare, Gas turbines).
Combustion diagnostics.
Nanoscale additives (Energy enhancers).
Supersonic / Hypersonic – Flow, Mixing, Combustion (High-speed transport).
Research Grants:
2019-2021: “Multiphase flow visualization of alternative refrigerant mixtures”, Qatar National Research Foundation (QNRF), Role: Co-Principal Investigator.
2018-2019: “Hydrocarbon-CO2 blends: An Environmentally-Benign Alternative Refrigerants”, Qatar Shell Research and Technology Center, Role: Co-Principal Investigator.
2018-2019: “Effect of Nanoparticles on Alternative Fuel Sprays at High-Pressure Conditions”, QNRF, Role: Principal Investigator.
2015-2018: “In-depth Characterization of Spray and Combustion Performance of Alternative Jet Fuels at Gas Turbine Combustor Conditions”, QNRF, Role: Principal Investigator.
Experience:
2021-present: Associate Professor, Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology, China.
2018-2020: Visiting Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University (Qatar Campus).
2013-2020: Assistant Research Scientist, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University (Qatar Campus).
2010-2013: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University (Qatar Campus).
2009-2010: Research Associate, Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India.
Honours:
- 2023 – Best Presentation award (Co-author), Global Conference for Decarbonization of Energy and Materials, Dec. 27-30, Singapore
2020 – Second place, 12th Undergraduate Research Conference, QNRF.
2016 – Second place, Best Representative Image Outcome of research, QNRF.
2010 – Postdoctoral Research Associate, Qatar Science and Technology.
Membership:
ASME – Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers
AIAA – Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
- Alternative fuels;
- Alternative refrigerants;
- Multiphase Thermo-fluid characteristics;
- Spray and Combustion diagnostics;
- Nanoscale additives;
- Computational Fluid Dynamics: Supersonic/Hypersonic mixing and combustion studies
Alternative fuels:
Kumaran Kannaiyan, and R. Sadr, “Influence of fuel characteristics on the alternative jet fuel atomization at non-reacting conditions,” Fuel, 2024.
Kumaran Kannaiyan, G.S. Lekshmi, S. Ramakrishna, M. Kang, V. Kumaravel,“Perspectives for the green hydrogen energy-based economy,” Energy, 2023.
Kumaran Kannaiyan, and R. Sadr, “Spray characteristics of natural gas-based alternative jet fuel at high-pressure ambient conditions,” Fuel, 2023.
Kumaran Kannaiyan, and R. Sadr, “Microscopic spray measurements of non-reacting alternative jet fuel: Effect of ambient gas temperature,” Fuel, 294, 120467, 2021.
Nanoscale additives:
Kumaran Kannaiyan, A. AlDosari, and R. Sadr, “Effects of nanoscale fuel additives on properties and non-reacting spray performance of alternative, conventional and blended jet fuels at elevated ambient conditions,” Fuel Processing Technology, 208, 106436, 2020.
Kumaran Kannaiyan, and R. Sadr, “The effect of alumina nanoparticles as fuel additives on the spray characteristics of gas-to-liquid jet fuels,” Exp. Therm. Fluid Science, 87 (2), 93-103, 2017.
Sustainable Energy /CO2 Utilization:
C. Yelishala∗, Kumaran Kannaiyan, Z. Wang, H. Metghalchi, Y.A. Levendis, and R. Sadr, “Thermodynamic Study on Blends of Hydrocarbons and Carbon Dioxide as Zeotropic Refrigerants,” J. Energy Resour. Technol., 142(8), 082304, 2020.
C. Yelishala∗, Kumaran Kannaiyan, R. Sadr, Z. Wang, Y.A. Levendis, and H. Metghalchi, “Performance Maximization by Temperature Glide Matching in Energy Exchangers of Cooling Systems Operating with Natural Hydrocarbon/CO2 Refrigerants,” International Journal of Refrigeration, 119, 294-304, 2020.
Supersonic Flows/Combustion:
Kumaran Kannaiyan, “Numerical investigation of the local and global supersonic combustion characteristics of ethylene fuel,” Aerospace Science and Technology, 106, 106178, 2020.
Kumaran Kannaiyan, “Computational study of the effect of cavity geometry on the supersonic mixing and combustion of ethylene,” Journal of Computational Science, 47, 101243, 2020.