Wael Ahmed

Headshot of Wael Ahmed
Professor
School of Engineering
Email: 
ahmedw@uoguelph.ca
Phone number: 
(519) 824-4120 ext. 53674
Office: 
THRN 2507
Website links: 
Gryph Energy Lab
Research Gate
Google Scholar
Seeking academic or industry partnerships in the area(s) of: 
Energy, food productions systems, aquaculture and indoor farming systems, oil and gas
Available positions for grads/undergrads/postdoctoral fellows: 
Hiring graduate students the area of multiphase flow. Applicants should have a strong background in the thermo-fluid area with BSc/MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering. Experience with conducting experimental research is mandatory

Find Related People by Keyword

Energy Systems, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Systems, Multiphase flow analysis, Thermo-fluid analysis, ThermoFluids

Instrumentation

Particle Image Velocimetery (PIV), Void Fraction Sensors.

Capabilities

Multiphase flow measurements.

Education and Employment Background

Prof. Wael Ahmed received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University in 2005. He then spent four years working in the power generation industry with Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. And AMEC-Nuclear Safety Solutions. In 2009, he worked at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia as an Assistant Professor. He joined the University of Guelph in 2014 where he is now a full Professor.

Research Themes

  1. Prof. Ahmed’s research is focused on the physics of multiphase flow in food, water, and energy systems. He is working to contribute to the advancement of thermofluids as an engineering science. His background in industry enables him to integrate modelling and experimentation into his research work. Also, his applied research resulted in several patented engineering products that are currently used to improve many industrial systems. Key themes of Prof. Ahmed’s research include:
  2. Airlift pumps for sustainable food systems. There is a global shortage of fresh water. Prof. Ahmed had developed new technology for airlift pumps, which can be used to supply oxygen and water while removing carbon dioxide in recirculating aquaculture systems, improve indoor farming and efficiently handle waste in food systems. Several pumping units of his design are patented and currently used by aquaculture facilities around the world. 
  3. Multiphase flow sensor for liquid metal-gas mixture. Existing techniques for measuring gas-liquid two-phase flow are expensive and difficult to implement. Prof. Ahmed has patented multiple techniques to offer non-intrusive measurement for many industrial applications including oil and gas, nuclear, food-waste, wastewater and petrochemical.
  4. Two-phase flow through complex geometries. Two-phase flows are found in a wide range of engineering applications and industries. Failures in many energy and oil and gas transportation systems occur in the developing two-phase flow regions in complex geometries due to variety of degradation mechanisms such as flow accelerated corrosion, cavitation erosion and erosion corrosion. This research is focused on developing reliable strategies to predict, monitor, and mitigate issues related to two-phase flow as it pertains to industrial problems.
  5. Performance and degradation of centrifugal pumps. The energy consumption in pumping systems accounts for approximately 10% of the world’s electrical energy demand. The objectives of this research are to investigate the performance of centrifugal pumps that are subjected to different degradation mechanisms and to develop guidelines that contribute to efficient operation of the pumps.
  6. Bioreactor design for clean aquaculture systems. The removal of nitrogen, phosphate and excess CO2 from recirculating aquaculture water using traditional approaches is expensive, time-consuming and only viable for a few years. In collaboration with researchers from Integrative Biology, Prof. Ahmed and his team have developed a bioreactor that allows for continuous removal of alleges with minimal energy consumption.

Highlights

  • NSERC Discovery Grant for Two-phase Flow through Complex Geometries, 2015-present
  • Member of Professional Engineers Ontario, 2016-present
  • Over $2.5M of research funding from a wide range of sources including federal and provincial government grants and external industrial contracts
  • Eight patents, 2 technology licenses and 1 spin-off company
  • Finalist for Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas (Fast Company Magazine) for airlift pump design, 2017-2018
  • Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs grant for Field Tests of Novel Airlift Pump Technology for Sustainable Aquaculture Production, 2015-2018

Media Coverage