Webinar Series - CET/DLR

Guest Presenter - Jana Barabas (DLR)

As a PhD student at the DLR Institute of Future Fuels, she is currently working at a project for the solar cement production. Therefore, she is developing a numerical model in OpenFOAM of a solar calciner. This model aims to explore and understand the thermodynamic and fluid mechanical properties of a solar rotary kiln including the chemical reaction process.

She holds a Master's degree in Computational Engineering from Friedrich-Alexander-University, where she focused on numerical methods in thermo-fluid dynamics. At the same time, she completed a second Master's degree in Computational Science at the Università della Svizzera italiana, where she specialized in high-performance computing and partial differential equations.

During her time as a research assistant at the Department of Fluid Mechanics in Busan, she worked on the development of a numerical model for hydrogen combustion in a volumetric ceramic burner.

Guest Presenter - Leok Lee (UoA)

Leok is a Research Fellow in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Adelaide (UA) where he also contributes significantly as a member of the Centre for Energy Technology. His expertise lies in the realm of renewable energy, with a specialised focus on energy storage solutions, concentrating solar power, system integration, and complex transient system modeling and optimisation.

He has research and hands-on experience in experimental design and testing, wind tunnel operation, as well as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation. His research extends to the intricate integration and optimisation of transient modeling of complex multiple systems, showcasing a multifaceted approach to cutting-edge energy research. His works contributed to an ARENA funded project that aims to add concentrated solar thermal energy to the Bayer Alumina process. He is currently involved in multiple research projects aiming to de-risk decarbonisation for heavy industry funded by HILT CRC.

His current research interests include renewable energy, solar thermal energy, energy storage, system integration, complex transient system modeling,  alternative fuels, computational fluid dynamics, hybrid renewable systems, development/demonstration of clean energy technologies, receiver design, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, aerodynamics and system optimisation. In addition to his research work, Dr Leok Lee is a dedicated supervisor and mentor, guiding and supervising for undergraduate students, Master and PhD candidates, as well as a Lecturer at the University of Adelaide

Prof Gus Nathan - Director of The Centre for Energy Technology

Gus Nathan is the inaugural Energy Professional of the Year from the Australian Institute of Energy, SA, a Fellow of the Combustion Institute, a recipient of an ARC Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award and an ATSE KH Sutherland medallist. He was the bid leader for, and is now the Research Director of, the national $215m Heavy Industry Low-carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre. He previously led an ARENA-funded program to develop solar thermal technology to decarbonize the Bayer alumina process in partnership with Alcoa, Hatch and CSIRO, and an innovative hydrogen production technology in methane pyrolysis within the Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre.

His work in iron ore processing includes development of iron-pellet kiln burners and iron ore beneficiation technologies. He also led the development of the fuel and combustion system for Sydney Olympic Relay Torch. He has published some 300 papers in international journals, 250 in peer reviewed conferences, 50 commissioned reports and 13 patents.

Prof. Christian Sattler - Director of the Institute of Future Fuels (DLR)

Prof. Christian Sattler is Director of the Institute of Future Fuels of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and professor at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. He received his PhD in chemistry from the University of Bonn, Germany in 1997. He joined DLR as a scientist in the field of solar chemistry and was a guest Scientist at the Unversidade Federal de Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. From 2015 to 2022 he was professor at TU Dresden, Germany. From 2021 to 2023 he was acting Divisional Board Member for Energy and Transport of DLR.