Hamed J Sarnavi

Dr Hamed J Sarnavi BSc, MSc, PhD

Research and Consultant Engineer

Hamed joined the University of Greenwich in 2020 and began working at the Wolfson Centre in 2024 as a Research and Consultant Engineer. He has a mechanical engineering background, shaped by both his academic and professional experiences in the agro-food industry. He holds two PhD degrees: the first (2012–2017) focused on adopting solar energy in biosystem buildings, conducted at Urmia University and the Polytechnic University of Milan. His second PhD, completed at the University of Greenwich, investigated the thermal energy aspects of drying a key crop in the sub-Saharan African region through on-site practices in Tanzania.

Hamed worked as a preventive maintenance engineer in the food industry for two years and participated in an energy audit project at a sugar factory. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in teaching and mentoring a wide range of learners, including college students and university undergraduates and postgraduates. Since 2021, he has contributed to undergraduate teaching at the School of Engineering, University of Greenwich, delivering lectures and running laboratory demonstrations in the Heat and Mass Transfer, Thermodynamics, and Design and Materials modules.

His primary research interests focus on the design of handling and processing operation units for bulk solids, as well as bulk solids characterisation, flow, and drying behaviour. He also works on developing proof-of-concept for dry air fractionation of plant-based proteins at the Natural Resources Institute in collaboration with the Imperial College London's Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein.

Responsibilities within the university
  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Consultancy

Research / Scholarly interests
  • Bulk solids mechanical characterisation; flowability and drying
  • Dry air fractionation of plant-based protein sources

Recent publications
  • Sarnavi, H.J., Precoppe, M., Salehi, H., Bradley, M. S. A., & García-Triñanes, P. “Study of the evolution of drying-induced flow properties for pulverised cassava grits”. Journal of Food Engineering, 338, 111221. 2023. link
  • Sarnavi, H.J., Precoppe, M., García‐Triñanes, P., Chapuis, A., Tran, T., Bradley, M. S., & Müller, J. “Determining the heat of desorption for cassava products based on data measured by an automated gravimetric moisture sorption system”. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2022. link
  • Piri, A., Nikbakht, A.M., Hazervazifeh, A., Sarnavi, H.J. “Role of 3E analysis in detection of thermodynamic losses in the evaporation line and steam and power production unit in the sugar processing plant”. Journal of Biomass Conv. Bioref. 2021. Link
  • Sarnavi, H.J., Nikbakht, A.M., Aste, N., Adhikari R.A., and Leonforte, F., “Rooftop Solar Energy Adoption in Iran Dairy Farms; Techno-Economic Assessment”, Final report, 2019.
  • Sarnavi, H.J., Nikbakht, A.M., Hasanpour A., Shahbazi F., Aste N., and Adhikari R.A., “Pragmatic Methodology to Estimate Hourly Energy Demand Profile of a Case Studied Dairy Farm; Primary Step Toward PV Application”. INMATEH - Agricultural Engineering; 52(2): 47-54, 2017. link
  • Nikbakht, A.M. Aste, N. Sarnavi, H.J. and Leonforte, F., “Techno-economic Analysis of Rooftop Grid-connected PV Dairy Farms; Case Study of Urmia University Dairy Farm” IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci. 83 012004, 2017. Rome, Italy. link

Presentations

  • Sarnavi, H.J. "Avoid Unnecessary Disruption Costs through Improved Bulk Solids Handling Design". Association for British Mining Engineering and Consultancy (ABMEC) Conference & Exhibition, Oxford, UK, 27-28 Nov 2024.
  • Sarnavi, H.J., & Bradley, M. S. A. " On the effect of Powder Cohesion on the location of Geldart Group A to Group C Fluidisation boundaries ". 11th International Conference on Conveying and Handling of Particulate Solids (CHoPS), Edinburgh, UK, 2-4 Sep 2024.
  • Sarnavi, H.J. "Challenge in Flatbed Drying of Mechanically Dewatered Cassava Mash in Sub-Saharan African Regions; A Real-Scale Case Study in Morogoro, Tanzania". Poster in International conference of Food and Nutrition Security Initiative (FaNSI). University of Greenwich, London, UK, 20-21 February 2024.
  • Sarnavi, H.J., Precoppe, M., Garg, V., & Bradley, M. S. A. "Incipient Fluidisation Thresholds of Cassava Grits in a Flatbed Dryer; An Experimental Case Study". 9th UK–China International Particle Technology Forum (PTF9), 18th Particle Technology Early Career Forum, Greenwich, London, UK, 21–23 August 2023.
  • Sarnavi, H.J. "Flatbed Dryers for Small Cassava Processing Enterprises in Developing Countries". NRIPS Symposium, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, UK, June 2023.
  • Sarnavi, H.J., Precoppe, M., Salehi, H., Bradley, M. S. A., & García-Triñanes, P. "An investigation into the effect of drying on the flowability of the bulk pulverised cassava grits". 10th International Conference on Conveying and Handling of Particulate Solids (CHoPS), Salerno, Italy, 5-9 July 2022.
  • Sarnavi, H.J. "Upgrading Flatbed Dryers For small enterprises of cassava processing in developing countries". NRIPS Symposium, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, UK, 20 May 2022.