Alf is a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the University of Bath and a member of academic staff. His passion is to tackle the challenges in the development of low carbon solutions in the chemicals and energy sectors.

His research specialisms include direct electromagnetic heating, green ammonia synthesis, hydrogen isotope separation by adsorption and cryogenic distillation for nuclear fusion reactors; chemical process analysis for net zero industrial clusters and catalytic solutions for liquid organic hydrogen carriers.

Alf is the academic lead for the ASPIRE2 Green Ammonia Demonstrator Project led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. He is also proud to be a Visiting Fellow at UK Atomic Energy Authority where he collaborates extensively with the Fuel Cycle group.

Role

Alf was appointed as a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering in November 2016, a role which includes Research, Teaching and Administration.  He supervises PhD students across a number of projects..

Career achievements

Alf graduated from the University of Bath with an MEng in Chemical Engineering in 2004. He embarked on a career in the Oil and Gas industry with BP and Petroplus (2004-2010) during which he worked as a project manager to successfully deliver large CAPEX projects and specialised in crude oil distillation performance. In 2012 he was recognised by the IChemE in the award of Chartered Chemical Engineer. Alf completed a PhD in the Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies in 2014. As a senior chemical engineer with Atkins Nuclear, Alf was responsible for delivering the design for the Hinkley Point C reactor primary coolant storage and processing systems and he authored the Safety Performance chapter of the Periodic Safety Review of Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear reactors.

Alf's research has been published in high impact journals 'Energy & Environmental Science; and 'Advanced Energy Materials' and has received over 2,000 citations.

Education

Alf received the degrees of MEng and PhD in Chemical Engineering and MRes in Sustainable Chemical Technologies in 2004, 2015 and 2011 respectively. He was awarded the qualification of Chartered Chemical Engineer and Member of the Institution of Chemical Engineers in 2012.

Research

Alf’s research focus is in the integration of reactor, catalyst and heat transfer design for sustainable energy applications. Direct electromagnetic heating of catalysts promises both to simplify chemical synthesis and to align energy intensive industries such as chemicals manufacture with low carbon renewable electricity.

Alf published a landmark paper on the suitability of the Haber-Bosch process for synthesis of green ammonia. It has received well over 1,000 citations, is cited in multiple policy documents worldwide and Alf is the academic lead of the ASPIRE2 green ammonia demonstration plant. at the Harwell campus.

Future fusion power stations must have hydrogen isotopologue separation systems. Alf's expertise is applied to the new generation of cryogenic distillation columns that will be required. He is active in development of novel sorbents for low energy separations of hydrogen including development of trap-door chabazites.