Renewable and Smart Energy Resources

PROF. DR. KARL WAGNER graduated both in Sociology and Business Administration from the University of Munich in 1987. He was awarded a scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service to research the former German Democratic Republic in Berlin. By his thesis on that topic, he took his German Ph.D. at the Faculty of Economy at the University of Munster in 1991 and spent the next three years as a HR-manager in industry. Prof. Karl Wagner also has been head of the study branch on Human Resource Management. He was the national organizer for the first synergies forum between all colleagues of his state Bavaria. He is the founder president of the Human Resource Circle providing an internet platform for both his graduates and HR-managers who collaborate with the University in terms of practical projects and recruitment. For several companies, he was responsible for team building and development. On a part-time basis, he became both lecturer and supervisor in different Universities, like UM, UMS and UPM. His last position was to act as a consultant for the Senior Vice President of Open University Malaysia.

•Leadership •Organizational Behavior and Development •Human Capital Management •Strategic Management •Qualitative Research Methods • Team Building and Team Development •Green Building Management •Renewable Energy •Geothermal Exploration and Spa Development •Marketing

Melio SAENZ has completed his PhD (Docteur-Ingénieur) in Fluid Mechanics at the University of Grenoble, National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble in 1978. Melio SAENZ currently works as an Associate Researcher at the Water and Soil Management Center, PROMAS of the University of Cuenca, Ecuador) . He has been Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Systems Science since 2011 and a member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Fluid Dynamics. Member of the Energy Group of the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences, IANAS, since 2010. He has been Director General of Science and Technology of Ecuador, PAHO / WHO consultant, UNESCO, OPEC, OLADE.

Computational fluid mechanics and complex systems modeling and simulation

Christopher Niezrecki is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He obtained dual BS degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering from the University of Connecticut in 1991. In 1992 he obtained a MS. degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and his Ph.D. in 1999 while working at the Center for Intelligent Materials Systems and Structures (CIMSS). He was the Director of the Smart Structures and Acoustics Laboratory at the University of Florida until 2004, is currently the Co-Director of the Structural Dynamics and Acoustic Systems Laboratory (http://sdasl.uml.edu/), and leads the Center for Wind Energy at UMass Lowell (www.uml.edu/windenergy). Dr. Niezrecki is also the Director of the NSF-Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Wind Energy Science Technology and Research (WindSTAR). He has been directly involved in mechanical design, smart structures, noise and vibration control research for over 23 years, with more than 100 publications. He is the member of three separate conference executive committees pertaining to structural dynamics/smart structures/materials and serves as an Associate Guest Editor of the Journal of Energy Resources Technology. Areas of current research include: renewable energy systems, wind turbine dynamics, monitoring, and inspection, structural dynamic and acoustic systems, smart structures, signal processing, structural health monitoring, and smart materials. Over the last several years, his research has focused on using optical digital image correlation for non-contacting inspection and vibration measurement of wind turbine blades/rotating structures. He was a 2010 recipient of a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL/National Wind Technology Center) Research Participant Program Fellowship and is the 2018 Roy J. Zuckerberg Endowed Leadership Chair. Funding for his research ($11M+) has been provided through grants from numerous federal and state agencies as well as several industry sponsors.

Dr. Christopher Niezrecki’s primary research includes renewable energy systems, wind turbine dynamics, monitoring, and inspection, structural dynamic and acoustic systems, smart structures, signal processing, structural health monitoring, and smart materials. His goals include expanding the global use of renewable energy, developing technologies that can impact the 1.3 billion people in the world who do not have access to electricity, and advancing sensing technologies to measure and monitor structural systems.

Melio SAENZ has completed his PhD (Docteur-Ingénieur) in Fluid Mechanics at the University of Grenoble, National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble in 1978. Melio SAENZ currently works as an Associate Researcher at the Water and Soil Management Center, PROMAS of the University of Cuenca, Ecuador) . He has been Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Systems Science since 2011 and a member of the Editorial Board of the American Journal of Fluid Dynamics. Member of the Energy Group of the Inter-American Network of Academies of Sciences, IANAS, since 2010.

Computational fluid mechanics and complex systems modeling and simulation

Delly Oliveira Filho completed his Ph.D degree in Electrical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada in 1995. He was a visiting professor at Iowa State University, USA, 2004. Delly OLIVEIRA FILHO is currently working as Coordinator of a Sustainable Energy Graduate Program- under BRICS Network University program, at the Federal University of Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. He is supervisor of the Agricultural Engineering Graduate Program of Federal University of Vicosa at the Energy Sector. He is a full professor of Federal University of Vicosa, teaching in the area of: Rural energization, Renewable Energy Sources, Modeling of Control Systems, Instrumentation and Energy Management.

Biogas, Photovoltaic systems, Sustainable Energy, Public Policy for Renewable Energy

Yilu Liu completed her Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering in 1989 at The Ohio State University. She currently serves as a Governor’s Chair Professor at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. She led the effort to create the North American Power Grid Monitoring Network (FNET/GridEye) which is still the only monitoring network that covers the entire North America as well as major grids worldwide. She is the recipient of Presidential Faculty Fellow Award, the NSF Young Investigator’s Award, and several university awards for research and teaching excellence. Liu and her student’s work has appeared in over 100 journal papers and more than 200 conference papers and she serves as an editor, reviewer and on the editorial board for about 20 journals including IEEE Transactions. Liu is a Fellow of IEEE, a member of National Academy of Inventors and a Member of the National Academy of Engineering.

Power grid monitoring and large system dynamics

Dr. Reza Nekovei is a Professor at Texas A&M University-Kingsville in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He has been conducting research in the field of Micro/Nano scale integrated circuit design, including modeling of circuits for nano-electronic devices. Additionally, he has many years of experience in developing graduate and undergraduate programs. He is currently the department’s Ph.D. program coordinator for the Sustainable Energy Systems Engineering. Dr. Nekovei was a senior Fulbright grantee at Bucharest Polytechnic University. He has been the recipient of multiple distinguished teaching and outstanding research awards. He is a member of IEEE and Etta Kappa Nu honor society. Dr. Nekovei has two patents.

Mico/Nano Electronics, Integrated Circuits, Solar Power, Sustainable Energy

Debjyoti Banerjee Completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1999 and B.S. from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Under his supervision at Multi Phase Flows and Heat Transfer Labs. (MPFHTL) at the Texas A&M University, 13 Ph.D. and 17 M.S. students have graduated since 2005. He worked at Applied Biosystems (Applera) NanoInk, Coventor and Tata. He is a Fellow of the American Society for Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Associate Editor of Journal of Heat Transfer (JHT), advisory board member of JHT and Journal of Nanofluids. He has 14 US Patents and 5 WO patents (and 1 patent pending). He co-founded Thermascape Technologies Inc. in 2017 to commercialize his research inventions, and was the 5th Place Winner in the Texas New Ventures Competition (TNVC) in 2017 where he also received the “Amerra Visualization Services Prize” and the “AM Innovation Center Prize”.

Heat Transfer, Thermal engineering, Thermo-Fluidics, Boiling/Condensation

Anthony R. Lupo completed his Ph.D degree in Atmospheric Science, Purdue University in 1995. Anthony Lupo is working currently as a Professor of Atmospheric Science in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society and a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society. He serves as the chief editor of Atmosphere, Climatology and Meteorology. He has been a member of the organizing committee for the Advances in Renewables in Missouri Conference since 2005. He is also a Fulbright Scholar to the Russian Academy of Sciences (2004) and Belgorod State National Research University (Russia, 2014-2015, 2017).

Atmospheric Science,Renewable Energy

Besmir “Bez” Buranaj Hoxha is a Sr. Research Scientist at the University of Texas at Austin that specializes in Drilling & Completion Fluids, Fluids Automation, and Rock Mechanics. He holds a Bsc degree in Chemistry with basis in Engineering and a Masters in Operations Research. Additionally, he is a Sr.Technical Adviser at PetroFluids LLC, a company that specializes in oilfield technical service, technical feasibility studies, and wide range project planning. In his spare time, Besmir is also a reviewer for JGNSE, MDPI Journal, and editor of other international scientific journals.

Drilling & Completion Fluids, Fluids Automation, and Rock Mechanics.

Atul Kumar possesses rich professional academic and research experience of over eighteen years in domain of Energy, Environment and Climate Change. Dr. Kumar is currently working as an Associate Professor in the Department of Energy and Environment at TERI University, India. He was appointed as the Prince Claus Chair Professor in Development and Equity, 2010-12 at Utrecht University, The Netherlands. From 2013 onwards, he is also an Adjunct Professor of Energy System Analysis at Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. He has held the position as a Board of Trustee at Sustainability and Livelihood Research Organization (SULIVER), New York, USA since September 2017. He holds a Ph. D degree in Energy Policy and Planning from Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), Delhi, India.

Energy modelling, GHG mitigation analysis, Techno-economics analysis of energy systems.

Prof. Dhinesh is currently working as an assistant professor in Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Tamil Nadu.He completed his master in Department of Automobile Engineering at Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, Chennai and bachelor degree in Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kongu Engineering College, Anna University, Coimbatore.

Renewable Energy,Automobile Engineering, Alternate Fuels and Propulsion System, Maintenance Engineering Pollution Control,Automotive Engines and subsystem

Yanxia Sun got her joint qualification: D-Tech in Electrical Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa and PhD in Computer Science, University Paris-EST, France in 2012. Yanxia Sun is currently working as Associate Professor/Head of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Science, University of Johannesburg, South Africa. She has 15 years teaching and research experience. She has lectured five courses in the universities. She has supervised or co-supervised five postgraduate projects to completion. Currently she is supervising six PhD students and four master students. She published 42 papers including 14 ISI master indexed journal papers. She is the investigator or co-investigator for six research projects. She is the member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).

Renewable Energy, Evolutionary Optimization, Neural Network, Nonlinear Dynamics and Control Systems

Dequan Xiao has a PhD degree in theoretical and computational chemistry from Duke University in 2009, and a BS degree in chemistry from Sichuan University (China) in 1996. He completed his postdoctoral work at Yale University from 2009 to 2013. In August of 2013, he started as an assistant professor at the University of New Haven, and later established the Center for Integrative Materials Discovery. His research interests focus on developing and integrating new theoretical and computational chemistry methods with experiments to drive the discovery of novel materials such as green catalysts for biomass conversion, molecular drugs, and polymer nanostructures. He is currently a University Research Scholar at UNH. He published 32 peer-reviewed articles, obtained 4 patents, and wrote two book chapters on “Inverse Molecular Design for Materials Discovery” and “Green Catalysts for Producing Liquid Fuels from Lignocellulosic Biomass”, respectively.

Biomass Conversion; Integrative Materials Discovery

Dr. Tank Shantilal completed his Ph.D. degree in biosciences in 1985. Dr. Tank is currently working as Professor and Head, department of Biosciences. He is associated with many international association of environmental sciences. He is serving in many scientific committees/Editorial Board and reviewer of many international Journals. Dr. Tank contributed chapters in many books of Environment. He is Environmental analyst of Govt. of India. Dr. Tank guided more than 20 Ph.D. scholars.

Environmental analyst

More than 20 years teaching graduate and post-graduate teaching experience at the university as temporary, associated and permanent position. I am a full-Professor at the Amar Telidji University of Laghouat-ALGERIA and Phd in physics. I am a senior member at the International Academy of Science and Engineering for Development (IASED): http://www.iased.net/ I have published many papers in various journals and conference proceedings on renewable energy subjects. I served as an editorial board for several journals and committee member for international conferences.

Renewable energy, Solar Energy, Conversion Energy

Dr. Obed Majeed Ali obtained Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Hons) in 2000 and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 2002 from the Department of Mechanical Engineering / College of Engineering at Mosul University, Iraq. Dr. Obed Majeed Ali obtained his DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in Mechanical Engineering (Internal Combustion Engine and Alternative Fuels) in 2014 from University Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia. After finishing his PhD., he worked as a senior lecturer at Faculty of Mechanical Engineering-University Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia. While working as a senior lecturer, he supervised many PhD and Master Students. He has published many technical papers in very reputable journals and international conferences in the area of internal combustion engine, energy efficiency, engine performance, exhaust emissions and alternative green fuels. In addition, Dr. Obed Majeed Ali worked as a lecturer at the Technical Institute of Hawija-Foundation of Technical Education, Iraq from year 2003 to 2012, and currently lecturer at the Northern Technical University, Iraq. His present research interests are Biofuel, combustion and emissions of Spark-Ignition (SI) and Compressed-Ignition (CI) engines, combustion strategies, fuel injection strategies, alternative future green fuels, fuel spray behaviour, modelling air flow and thermal stress analysis on Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Dr. Obed Majeed Ali is a Chartered Engineer (CEng), Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) of UK and also registered with American Association for Science and Technology (AASCIT), USA and the Iraqi Engineers Society, Iraq.

Fuel & Energy

Dr. Meisam Tabatabaei is the founding Leader of Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam). He is also the founding President of the Iranian Biofuels Society (IBS) under the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, President of the Biofuels Committee (Vice-Presidency for Science & Technology), and is also the President of the Liquid Biofuels Standards Committee (National Standards Organization). His research focus is biofuels production from waste resources and nanotechnology. Other than being a regular reviewer for more than 70 international journals, he is currently serving as the founding Editor-in-Chief for the Canadian-based ISI-SCOPUS indexed Biofuel Research Journal (BRJ). He is also the Editor of Energy Education Science and Technology & Bioethanol Journal. Meisam has been working with the United Nation Development Program for the promotion of waste-oriented biodiesel in Iran. He has co-authored over 160 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has achieved over 10 patents (h-index: 27, i10-index: 67).

Biofuel, Bioethanol

Dr Caroline Hachem-Vermette is an assistant professor at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Environmental Design. An architect by training, she obtained a Master degree in architectural engineering, and a Master and PhD degrees in Building Engineering.

Her research area includes the investigations of solar potential and energy implications of building shapes and multifunctional neighbourhood patterns, to reach net zero energy status. Her research is multidisciplinary, it plays a bridging role between building engineering and architectural and urban design. She is an expert member in the International Energy Agency Task 51- Solar energy in urban planning. She is a researcher in the NSERC Smart Net Zero Energy Research Network, and leader of the project of new NZE community design. She has been involved in the feasibility studies of several solar community designs, in various areas of Canada.

Bachir BOUCHEKIMA is Professor of Renewable Energies and Processes Engineering at the University of Ouargla, Algeria (Department of Renewable Energies). He has been teaching researcher for more than 30 years and has participated in several conferences and scientific seminars in Algeria or outside Algeria. He is the author of several scientific publications in the field of Processes Engineering and Renewable Energies. He is coordinator of several national and international scientific research projects. He is adviser at IFS International Foundation of Science (Stockholm, Sweden).

Processes Engineering and Renewable Energies

Sanjeevikumar Padmanaban (Member’12, Senior Member’15, IEEE) received bachelor, master (with distinction), and Ph.D degree in electrical engineering from the University of Madras (India), Pondicherry University (India), and University of Bologna (Italy), in 2002, 2006, and 2012 respectively. Dr.P.Sanjeevikumar biography has been included along with the world professional achievers in MarquisWho'sWho (33rd Edition, 2016), United State of America, November 2015. He was working as Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Johannesburg, South Africa from October 2016. He published 150 plus scientific papers in referred conference proceedings and international journals in the field of power electronics and circuit model¬ing, with particular reference to multiphase and multilevel converters. He has received the Best Paper cum Most Excellence Research Paper Award of IET-SEISCON 2013. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE Industrial Electronics, IEEE Power Electronics, and IEEE Power and Energy Societies. He serve as Editor/Associate Editor/Editorial Board of more than 150 refereed journal in particular IEEE Transaction on Power Electronics, IET Renewable Energy, IET Generation, Transmission and Distribution, IEEE Access, etc. He was invited as honorary program committee/technical committee/steering committee member/chair for more than 3000 plus various international, national conferences in India and Abroad in particular IEEE.

power electronics and circuit modeling

She is Head of Weather forecasting, natural and technogenic disaster modeling division of the Institute of Hydrometeorology of Georgian Technical University. She has published 76 scientific articles including high rated journals. She is the member of Scientific and Editorial Board of Institute of Hydrometeorology and Institute of Geophysics. Also she is the Scientific Committee Member of the International Scientific Conference on Environment and Renewable Energy (ICERE 2014, 15, 16.17). She collaborates with International Scientific Journals, as reviewer.

Geo-sciences and Renewable Energy

Volodymyr Bunetskyi (birth date and place 24th of May 1970, Ukraine) has Main activity in the field of biological polymers processing to solid biofuel. V. Bunetskyi is also expert in technological support and automation of manufactures, alternative energetics and author of the new technological approach to biochar producing. V. Bunetskyi has 12 publications in High Attestation Commission of Ukraine, 6 author's patents, 18 publications in different printings, 16 presentations in the field of pellet’s producing and alternative energetics. Took part in 2 AEBIOM Bioenergy Conferences, read course of lectures in Kiev, Kharkov, Lviv, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnojarsk, Kirov, Minsk, Haifa and other centers of alternative energetics.

biological polymers processing to solid biofuel

Tin-Tai Chow received his PhD from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland. He is currently the Associated Professor and Director of the Building Energy and Environmental Technology Research Unit at at the Division of Building Science and Technology of the City University of Hong Kong. He has 400 academic publications, including over 130 SCI journal articles and with over 4,000 Scopus citations. His Scopus H-index reaches 35. He has been serving as members of many journal editorial boards, such as the Journal of Building Performance Simulation. He also contributes to many reputable international conferences as committee members and invited speakers. He holds fellow membership in many professional institutions, such as FASHRAE and FCIBSE.

Building Energy and Environment

Kurt Rolf Papsdorf is the founder and C.E.O. of AEDC in South Africa, ( 2000 ) and founder of ZOLAIR Energy in Vancouver B.C. Canada, ( 2014).AEDC was voted a top 100 technology company in S.A. and was finalist ( 2005) in the category : social innovations, sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology, ESKOM and Da Vinci.At present he is President of Zolair Energy Ltd. with main function in technical development and advisor to management partners. He was nominated as an ASHOKA fellow in South Africa in 2008. In 2014, he developed a new business model, patent pending, for a wireless activation of Zolair energy units and the sale of energy in watt hrs. including incremental payments on a pay as you go system.

Design of a fuel cell housing for zinc-air fuel cells, that are renewable and can receive new anodes, manually, through easy cartridge exchange