Fatih Gulec
Assistant Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
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Biography
Dr Fatih Gulec is an Assistant Professor in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nottingham, specialising in advanced materials, thermochemical processes, and industrial decarbonisation. His research focuses on CO₂ capture, clean energy conversion, and negative-emission technologies (BECCS).
He received his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Nottingham, where he developed a novel chemical looping combustion process for refinery CO₂ capture. Prior to his current role, Dr Gulec held research fellowships at Cranfield University and the University of Nottingham, contributing to major projects on decarbonising energy and industrial systems.
Dr Gulec is a part of the Low Carbon Energy and Resources Technologies Research Group and an associate member of the Advanced Materials Research Group.
Expertise Summary
Dr Gulec's expertise lies in developing decarbonisation technologies for energy and industrial applications. His work integrates advanced materials engineering and thermochemical process development to enable CO₂ capture, clean energy conversion, and negative-emission systems. He specialises in the design, synthesis, and characterisation of porous nanocomposite materials for chemical and calcium looping technologies, catalytic reactions, energy storage, and carbon capture. His research also advances process integration and intensification for waste and biomass-to-energy conversion, bridging fundamental research and industrial application to accelerate the transition towards a net-zero future.
Teaching Summary
Dr Gulec teaches Advanced Transport Phenomena, with a focus on industrial applications in advanced combustion, hydrogen transportation, clean energy systems, energy storage, and CO₂ capture… read more
Research Summary
Dr Gulec has led and contributed to a wide range of projects focused on developing decarbonisation technologies for energy and industrial applications. His research portfolio spans advanced… read more
Selected Publications
Dr Gulec welcome enquiries from potential PhD candidates from Home, EU and international countries who are interested in developing next-generation decarbonisation technologies based on following research areas:
- Negative emission via biomass combustion with CO2 capture (BECCS)
- Thermochemical energy storage via metal hydrides and metal oxides
- Hydrogen production via thermochemical routes
- CO2 capture and utilisaiton (primarily advanced combustion - chemical and calcium looping)
- Integrated biomass processes technologies and clean energy conversion
- AI applications in chemical processes
Other project ideas will be considered. Please do not hesitate to e-mail me (Fatih.Gulec1@nottingham.ac.uk) for further discussion.
Dr Gulec teaches Advanced Transport Phenomena, with a focus on industrial applications in advanced combustion, hydrogen transportation, clean energy systems, energy storage, and CO₂ capture technologies. He integrates research-led teaching to bridge fundamental principles and real-world engineering challenges.
Each year, he supervises MEng research projects on chemical looping and CO₂ capture technologies, providing students with hands-on experience in decarbonisation process design and reactor engineering.
Current Research
Dr Gulec has led and contributed to a wide range of projects focused on developing decarbonisation technologies for energy and industrial applications. His research portfolio spans advanced materials, clean energy conversion, and CO₂ capture and storage.
Project: Developing Next-Generation Metal Hydride-Based Thermal Energy Stores - Decarbonising Heat in Buildings This project aims to develop a highly efficient metal hydride-based thermal energy storage system to decarbonise heat in residential and industrial sectors while addressing the intermittency of renewable energy sources. Funded by C-DICE-UKRI.
Project: Digital Manufacturing of Metal Oxide Nanocomposites via Interpretable Machine Learning Models This project integrates interpretable machine learning with sustainable hydrothermal synthesis to enable digital manufacturing of novel metal oxide nanocomposites, advancing scalable and cost-effective materials design. Funded by Connected Everything-EPSRC.
Project: Next-Generation Advanced Biomass/Biochar Combustion - A Novel Pathway to CO₂-Negative Energy Production This project develops an innovative thermochemical conversion process for biomass and biochar, achieving negative CO₂ emissions through inherent carbon capture while producing clean energy at minimal cost and energy penalty. Funded by UoN-FPVC.