Professor Kalpit Shah

Research interest 

Dr Kalpit Shah's current research projects and career interests include the fundamental and applied research in the area of advanced thermochemical conversion systems. He has gained over 15 years of valuable research and industrial consultancy experience. Dr Shah's assets are the sound fundamental chemical engineering knowledge and innovations in the process engineering and energy field together with first-rate hands on experience. Dr Shah also has contributed to process/reactor design, project management, installation and commissioning activities in chemical industries as well as underwrote several patents in Australia and overseas. 

Dr Shah has broad experience, knowledge and interests in the advanced energy field, particularly in the following application areas:

• Development of Self-Patented Novel Advanced Chemical Looping Based Process for Emission Reduction, examples include: Mineral Looping Tar Removal, Stone Dust Looping For VAM Mitigation, Chemical Lopping Carbon Reforming for Utilizing CO2 for Methanol Synthesis, Soil Looping Carbon Arrestor for Reduction of Poultry Emissions, Chemical Looping Carbon Arrestor for Bio-char Production and Chemical Looping Energy Storage.
• Fundamental Research On Conventional and Advanced Low Emission Thermo-Chemical Conversion Technologies (e.g. Conventional, Oxy-fuel and Chemical Looping Combustion, Gasification, Reforming and Pyrolysis of Coal, Biomass and Related Wastes);
• CO2 Capture and Utilization (mainly focusing on conversion of CO2 into value added products)    
• Coal and Biomass Solvent Extraction Using Novel Green Solvents (mainly focusing on ionic liquids)
• Energy Efficiency in Process Industries (e.g. Energy Optimization)
• Smart Carbon Materials Synthesis and Characterization
• Waste to Energy and Value Added Products

Honors / Awards / Scholarships

• 2015 Excellence in Innovation Award, Newcastle Innovation, Australia.
• 2015 Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, The University of Newcastle, Australia.
• 2014 Student Feedback Award for CHEE3731, The University of Newcastle, Australia.
• 2013 Student Feedback Award for CHEE3731, The University of Newcastle, Australia.
• 2013 Best Poster Award, 2nd International Chemical Looping Conference, Chalmers University, Sweden. 
• 2008 Guest Researcher Award, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, Netherlands.  
• 2007 Curtin International Post graduate Research Scholarship (CIPRS), Curtin University of Technology, Australia. 
• 2006 Performance Appreciation Certificate, Rubamin Ltd., India.
• 2005 Youngest Talent Award, Gujarat State Electrical Corporation Ltd., India.
• 2005 Performance Appreciation Certificate, Academy for Conservation of Energy, India.

Research funding

Dr Shah has attracted the following grants in the last five years from ARC, Industry and State/Federal Governments. The majority of the grants except DECRA were obtained during his tenure at the University of Newcastle between 2011 and 2016.

1. Chemical Looping Plastic Reforming, ARC DECRA, DE170100952 (2017-20: $375k) 
   Role: Lead Chief Investigator
   
2. A Novel Tar Removal Process, ARC Linkage, CI,  LP160101155 (2017-20: $310k)
   Role: Chief Investigator 
   
3. Chemical Looping Redox Energy Storage System, Infratech Industries, G1600828 (2016-21: $643k)
   Role: Chief Investigator until June 2016  
   
4. Chemical Looping Tar Removal, V-Tara Energy, G1501118 (2015-17: $1.1M)
   Role: Lead Chief Investigator until June 2016
   
5. Chemical Looping VAM Abatement, ACALET, G1400521 (2014-17: $2.7M)
   Role: Chief Investigator and Project Manager until June 2016
   
6. Stone Dust Looping for VAM abatement, ACARP Funding, G1400713 (2013-16: $760 k)
   Role: Lead Chief Investigator until June 2016
   
7. Chemical Looping Carbon Reforming, ARC Discovery Project, CI, DP140104599 (2014-2016:$270k)
   Role: Chief Investigator 
   
8. Development of VAM Technology Assessment Tool, ACARP Funding, CI, G1300818 (2014: $55k)
   Role: Chief Investigator 
   

Patents

Dr Shah has been involved in three patents during his industrial tenure. Since joining academia, he holds five patents.

1. Shah, K. Moghtaderi, B., Doroodchi, E. 2016, Patent number: US20160158697. 
2. Moghtaderi, B., Wall, T., Shah, K. 2016, Patent number: US9346013. 
3. Shah, K. Moghtaderi, B., Doroodchi, E. 2015, Patent number: WO2015003219. 
4. Moghtaderi, B., Wall, T., Shah, K. 2014, Patent number: US20140219895. 
5. Moghtaderi, B., Wall, T., Shah, K. 2013, Patent number: WO2013040645.

Media

• Kalpit Shah, Energy Audit
  
• Kalpit Shah, Biomass Gasification
• Kalpit Shah, Chemical Looping
• Kalpit Shah, Engineers Australia

Teaching activities

• PROC2091 Process Systems Integration
• PROC 2114 Research Project
• Process Principles (PROC2078)

• 2011 Ph.D, Chemical Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, WA, Australia.
• 2005 Energy Auditor,National Productivity Council, India.
• 2001 B. E Chemical Engineering, South Gujarat University, India

Research experience

• 07/2014 – 09/2016, Senior Lecturer, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Newcastle, Australia.
• 07/2013 – 07/2014, Senior Research Academic, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Newcastle, Australia.
• 07/2011 – 07/2013, Research Associate, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Newcastle, Australia.
• 08/2007-07/2011, Research Associate, Chemical Engineering Department, Curtin University, Australia.
• 09/2008-07/2010, Biomass Coal and Environmental Research Group, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, the Netherlands.

Industry experience

• 05/2007- 08/2007 Energy Manager, Indian Petrochemical Corporation Ltd., India
• 07/2006-05/2007, Senior Executive Projects, Rubamin Ltd., India.
• 01/2006 – 07/2006, Process Engineer, Nirma Ltd., India.
• 12/2003 – 12/2005, Process Engineer and Team Leader, Academy for Conservation of Energy, India.
• 11/2001 – 05/2003, Engineer Trainee, Deepak Nitrite Ltd., India.

Consulting experience

• Advanced Process Modelling and Simulation
• Revamping of Several Unit Operations 
• Reactor Design and Scale-up
• Detailed Techno-economic Assessment

Dr Shah's research is supported by a wide range of innovative and cutting edge experimental –self-designed lab scale and pilot scale setups (i.e. TGA, Fixed Bed, Fluidized Bed rigs) and modeling (e.g. ASPEN Plus V 8.4, ANSYS Fluent 14.0, CHEMKIN, Fact-sage 6.1, COSILAB, HSC Chemistry) techniques. Dr Shah has research experience with lab-, pilot- and full-scale plants and been quite instrumental with variety of experimental and modeling approaches.

Professional appointments / service

• Guest Lecturer, International Energy Centre, The University of Queensland, 2012-14.
• Associate Editor, Advanced Fossil Fuel Technologies, 2016- present. 
• Organising Committee member, Australian Combustion Symposium, 2015. 
• Reviewer for 22 international high impact journals, 2011-present. 
• Grant Assessor, Australia-India Strategic Research Fund, 2015.
• Grant Assessor, Australian Research Council, 2013- present.