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SIMULKADE

Curriculum vitae

Curriculum Vitae

Personal information

Ali Akbar Eftekhari

Profile

I am a Chemical and Petroleum Engineering graduate with several years of experience in the modeling and simulation of upstream and downstream oil and gas processes. Besides working with commercial simulators, I have developed prototype computer tools for the modeling and simulation of multicomponent phase equilibrium and multiphase flow in porous media. During my PhD, I used the concept of exergy to devise and develop a procedure for the life-cycle-assessment of zero-emission fossil fuel recovery. As a post-doc researcher, I worked on the application of nanotechnology in the enhanced oil recovery. I have designed and conducted experiments in different scales, including production and stabilization of colloidal suspensions to high-pressure/high-temperature core-flooding experiments for EOR. My scientific passion is the exergy analysis of the energy conversion processes. My other interest is the investigation of various physical and chemical interactions (fluid-fluid, rock-fluid) in the flow of multiphase fluids in porous media. I am also interested in numerical methods and computer programming, fluid phase equilibria, and process simulation and optimization.

Education

Teaching experience

2005-2008

  • Simulation and optimization of chemical/petrochemical processes using commercial process simulators (See a presentation here)
  • programming and optimization with Matlab.

2012-2015

  • Exergy analysis of geothermal energy (MSc course, one session), Delft University of Technology. (Presentation1, Presentation2, Handouts)
  • Thermodynamic calculation of the physical properties of multi-component multi-phase mixtures (PhD course), Delft University of Technology. (Matlab/Octave code1, code2)

Work experience

Process Engineer (2005-2008)

  • Experimental study, simulation, and scale-up of a methyl acetate hydrolysis process from bench to pilot scale; National Iranian Petrochemical Company – Research and Development.
  • Preliminary design of a pilot scale structured-bed distillation column for research purposes; National Iranian Petrochemical Company – Research and Development.
  • Simulation of various petrochemical processes including high impact polystyrene, unsaturated polyester resin, and natural gas processing/crude oil refinery units.

Post-doc researcher (2012–2015, TU Delft)

  • Conducting more than 50 core flooding experiments.
  • Developing computer codes for the optimization of foam model parameters and numerical simulation of foam flow in porous media.
  • Experimental investigation of nano-particle-stabilized foam flow in porous media.
  • Production of nanoparticles and investigation of the stability of nanoparticle suspensions.
  • Flow of polymer-enhanced foam in porous media.
  • Stability of foam in presence of oil in porous media.

Post-doc researcher (2016-2017, Technical University of Denmark)

  • Thermodynamic analysis of brine-oil-chalk systems
  • Thermodynamic analysis of the low-grade geothermal energy systems
  • Developing computer programs for modelling and simulation of non-isothermal multicomponent multi-phase reactive flow in porous media (including bio/chemical reactions)
  • Coupling two phase flow of water and oil in chalk reservoirs with geochemical reactions
  • Mathematical modeling of DME-enhanced water flooding in chalk reservoirs

Voluntary activities

Organizer

  • Interpore (2017): Co-organizing a session on “Modified-salinity-brine flooding: from pore to field scale”, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
  • EAGE (2018): Co-organizing a session on “Modified Salinity Waterflooding in Chalk Reservoirs”, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Modified-salinity water flooding workshop (June 2018), Technical University of Denmark

Reviewer

  • Energy
  • Petroleum Science and Engineering
  • Fuel
  • Energy & Fuels

Modeling and simulation experience

  • Phase equilibrium of CO2-water-salt mixture: An optimized PRSV equation of state with NRTL-based MHV2 mixing rule, written in Matlab. The code was re-written in C and is being used in a Riemann solver package at IMPA, Brazil.
  • Finite volume toolbox for transient convection-diffusion equations: A Matab/Octave toolbox, publicly available, which can be used to solve linear/nonlinear coupled convection-diffusion equations in 1, 2, and 3D domains; several sophisticated applications already implemented including fully-implicit solver for immiscible displacement, foam flow in porous media, and density-driven natural convection. The code is also available as a Julia package.
  • A PVT toolbox for Matlab: A Matlab/Octave toolbox for the vapor-liquid flash calculations and stability test, and calculation of thermodynamic and transport properties of multicomponent mixtures. It contains physical and chemical data for around 500 pure components.
  • A Julia wrapper for the geochemistry package PHREEQC: A julia package that calls the C wrapper of PhreeqcRM, with some convenience functions for interactive development of reactive-transport solvers

Laboratory experience

Gas chromatography (GC), Dynamic Light Scattering (zeta potential, particle size distribution), CT-scanner, core-flooding, high pressure equipments (Swagelok), mass flow controllers, pumps, pressure and temperature sensors, data-acquisition (DAQ).

Supervisory experience

  • Mohammadreza Mehdizadeh (2017), Master thesis, DME-enhanced water flooding in chalk reservoirs, DHRTC, Technical University of Denmark
  • Hubert Karon (2017), Master thesis, Temperature dependency of Smart Water flooding in Chalk, DHRTC, Technical University of Denmark
  • Mick Roukema (2015), Master thesis. Polymer-stabilized foam for enhanced oil recovery, Petroleum Engineering, Delft university of technology
  • Jaap Regelink (2015), Bachelor thesis. Calculating black-oil parameters for volatile oils, Petroleum Engineering, Delft university of technology
  • Joris Roebroeks (2014), Master thesis. Nanoparticle-enhanced foam in carbonate and sandstone reservoirs, Petroleum Engineering, Delft university of technology (link)
  • Jia Wei (2013), Master thesis. Nanoparticle-stabilized foam for enhanced-oil-recovery, Petroleum Engineering, Delft university of technology
  • Ioannis Dafnomilis (2012), Master thesis, A workstream for exergy analysis of carbon capture and storage through enhanced oil Recovery, Sustainable Energy Technology, Delft university of technology
  • Jonathan De Mooij (2010), Master thesis. Exergy analysis of the use of geothermal energy and carbon capture, transportation and storage in underground aquifers, Sustainable Energy Technology, Delft university of technology (link)

Language skills

  • Persian (native)
  • English (fluent)
  • Dutch (basic)

Computer skills

Awards

  • Highest GPA among 78 Chemical Engineering B.Sc. graduates, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran, September 2003
  • Highest GPA among 10 M.Sc. graduates of Transport Phenomena and Separation Processes, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, September 2005
  • Best paper award, annual research meeting of the Department of Geoscience and Engineering and Remote Sensing, February 2013.
  • Best poster award, DHRTC technology conference, Denmark, November 2016

Publications

For an up to date list, please visit:

Here's a selected list of my publications:

Refereed journals

  1. Eftekhari, A.A., Thomsen, K., Stenby, E. H., & Nick, H. M. (2017). Thermodynamic analysis of chalk-brine-oil interactions. Energy & Fuels. doi: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.7b02019
  2. Eftekhari, A.A., Wolf, K.H.H., Rogut, J. & Bruining, J. (2017), Energy and exergy analysis of alternating injection of oxygen and steam in the low emission underground gasification of deep thin coal. Applied Energy, 208C (2017) pp. 62-71
  3. Eftekhari, A.A., & Farajzadeh, R. (2017). Effect of Foam on Liquid Phase Mobility in Porous Media. Scientific Reports. 7, 43870; doi: 10.1038/srep43870.
  4. Eftekhari, A.A., Krastev, R., Farajzadeh, R., (2015), Foam Stabilized by Fly-Ash Nanoparticles for Enhancing Oil Recovery, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 54 (50), 12482–12491 (Download)
  5. Eftekhari, A.A., Wolf, K.H.H., Rogut, J. & Bruining, J. (2015), Mathematical modeling of alternating injection of oxygen and steam in underground coal gasification. International Journal of Coal Geology. (Download)
  6. Farajzadeh, R., Lotfollahi, M., Eftekhari, A.A., Rossen, W. R., & Hirasaki, G. J. (2015). Effect of permeability on implicit-texture foam-model parameters and the limiting capillary pressure. Energy & Fuels. (Download)
  7. Eftekhari, A.A., Van Der Kooi, H., & Bruining, J. (2012). Exergy analysis of underground coal gasification with simultaneous storage of carbon dioxide. Energy, 45(1), 729-745. (Download)
  8. Battistutta, E., Eftekhari, A.A., Bruining, H., & Wolf, K. H. (2011). Manometric sorption measurements of CO2 on moisture-equilibrated bituminous coal. Energy & Fuels, 26(1), 746-752. (Download)
  9. Ehteshami, M., Rahimi, N., Eftekhari, A.A., & Nasr, M.J. (2006). Kinetic study of catalytic hydrolysis reaction of methyl acetate to acetic acid and methanol. Iranian Journal of Science & Technology, Transaction B, Engineering, 30 (B5). (Download)
  10. Bobbert, F. S. L., Lietaert, K., Eftekhari, A.A., Pouran, B., Ahmadi S. M., Weinans, H., & Zadpoor, A. A. (2017), Additively manufactured metallic porous biomaterials based on minimal surfaces: a unique combination of topological, mechanical, and mass transport properties. Acta Biomaterialia. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.02.024.
  11. Kapetas, L., Bonnieu, S. V., Farajzadeh, R., Eftekhari, A.A., Shafian, S. M., Bahrim, R. K., & Rossen, W. R. (2017). Effect of permeability on foam-model parameters: an integrated approach from core-flood experiments through to foam diversion calculations. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects.
  12. Farajzadeh, R., Eftekhari, A.A., Hajibeygi, H., Kahrobaei, S., van der Meer, J. M., Vincent-Bonnieu, S., & Rossen, W. R. (2016). Simulation of Instabilities and Fingering in Surfactant Alternating Gas (SAG) Foam Enhanced Oil Recovery. Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 34.
  13. Zeng, Y., Farajzadeh, R., Eftekhari, A.A., Vincent-Bonnieu, S., Muthuswamy, A., Rossen, W. R., ... & Biswal, S. L. (2016). Role of Gas Type on Foam Transport in Porous Media. Langmuir.
  14. Kapetas L, Bonnieu SV, Danelis S, Rossen WR, Farajzadeh R, Eftekhari A.A., Shafian SM, Bahrim RK. (2016). Effect of temperature on foam flow in porous media. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. 36:229-37.
  15. Zeng, Y., Muthuswamy, A., Ma, K., Wang, L., Farajzadeh, R., Puerto, M., ..., Eftekhari, A.A., & Joyce, J. C. (2016). Insights on Foam Transport from a Texture-Implicit Local-Equilibrium Model with an Improved Parameter Estimation Algorithm. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 55(28), 7819-7829.

In proceedings

  1. Eftekhari, A.A., M. la Cour Christensen, H. Maghami Nick, K. Thomsen & E. Stenby. (2017). Uncertainties in the Mechanistic Models of the Modified Brine Water-flooding of Chalk. 19th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery, Stavanger, Norway
  2. Eftekhari, A.A. & Farajzadeh, R. (2015). Fly-Ash Nanoparticles for Enhancing Oil Recovery: An Experimental Investigation, SPE Kuwait Oil & Gas Show and Conference.
  3. Farajzadeh, R., Lotfollahi, M., Eftekhari, A.A., Rossen, W. R., & Hirasaki, G. J. (2015, April). Effect of Permeability on Foam-model Parameters and the Limiting Capillary Pressure. In IOR 2015-18th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery. (Download)
  4. Kapetas, L., Vincent-Bonnieu, S., Farajzadeh, R., Eftekhari, A.A., Mohd-Shafian, S. R., Bahrim, R. K., & Rossen, W. R. (2015, April). Effect of Permeability on Foam-model parameters-An Integrated Approach from Coreflood Experiments through to Foam Diversion Calculations. In IOR 2015-18th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery.
  5. Kapetas, L., Vincent Bonnieu, S., Danelis, S., Rossen, W. R., Farajzadeh, R., Eftekhari, A.A., ... & Kamarul Bahrim, R. Z. (2015, March). Effect of temperature on foam flow in porous media. In SPE Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference. Society of Petroleum Engineers. (Download)
  6. Farajzadeh, R., Eftekhari, A.A., Hajibeygi, H., van der Meer, J. M., Vincent-Bonnieu, S., & Rossen, W. R. (2015, February). Simulation of Instabilities and Fingering in Surfactant Alternating Gas (SAG) Foam Enhanced Oil Recovery. In SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium. Society of Petroleum Engineers.
  7. Roebroeks, J., Eftekhari, A.A., Farajzadeh, R., & Vincent-Bonnieu, S. (2015, April). Nanoparticle Stabilized Foam in Carbonate and Sandstone Reservoirs. In IOR 2015-18th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery. (Download)
  8. Khosrokhavar, R., Eftekhari, A.A., Farajzdadeh, R., Wolf, K. H., & Bruining, H. (2015, April). Effect of Salinity and Pressure on the Rate of Mass Transfer in Aquifer Storage of CO2. In IOR 2015-18th European Symposium on Improved Oil Recovery. (Download)
  9. Eftekhari, A.A., Bruining, J., Wahanik, H., & Marchesin, D. (2011, January). CO2 injection in the sub-salt water layers at 7000 m depth. In SPE Reservoir Simulation Symposium. Society of Petroleum Engineers. (Download)
  10. Eftekhari, A.A., Heimovaara, T.J., & Bruining, J. (2010, January). A case study of electricity generation from low quality geothermal energy sources. In First International Conference on Frontiers in Shallow Subsurface Technology. (Download)
  11. Heimovaara, T., Eftekhari, A.A., & Bruining, H. (2010, January). Quantification of sustainability of soil remediation, the exergy concept. In First International Conference on Frontiers in Shallow Subsurface Technology. (Download)
  12. Wahanik, H., Eftekhari, A.A., Bruining, J., Marchesin, D., & Wolf, K.H.A. (2010, January). Analytical solutions for mixed CO2-water injection in geothermal reservoirs. In Canadian Unconventional Resources and International Petroleum Conference. Society of Petroleum Engineers. (Download)

Technical reports

  1. Eftekhari, A.A. (2014). Nanoparticle-stabilized foam: An experimental investigation of nanoparticle production, suspension stability, foaminess, and foam strength. Submitted to Shell Intl. E&P BV, Rijswijk, the Netherlands.
  2. Eftekhari, A.A. (2013). Low Emission Conversion of Fossil Fuels with Simultaneous or Consecutive Storage of Carbon Dioxide. PhD thesis, Delft University of Technology.
  3. Eftekhari, A.A. (2012). Underground coal gasification with a low carbon content product: a literature review. Submitted to TNO, Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Conference abstracts

  1. Eftekhari, A.A., Farajzadeh, R. & Bruining, J. (2011, March). Experimental investigation of enhanced CO2 mass transfer in water-saturated porous media. 3rd Interpore Conference, Bordeaux. (Download poster)
  2. Eftekhari, A.A. & Bruining, J. (2010). Exergy analysis of underground coal gasification with simultaneous storage of carbon dioxide. 8th European coal conference – Darmstadt. (Download presentation)
  3. Eftekhari, A.A., Bruining, J., Rogut, J. & Van Batenburg, D.W. (2010). Cyclic production of CO2-rich and hydrogen-rich gas in underground coal gasification. 8th European coal conference – Darmstadt. (Download poster)
  4. Eftekhari, A.A. & Wahanik, H. (October 2009). The Riemann solution for the injection of supercritical carbon dioxide and vapor in porous media. International Conference on Non-linearities and Upscaling in Porous Media, Stuttgart, Germany. (Poster, shortlisted for the best poster award)

Technical group meetings

  1. Eftekhari, A.A. (2012). Experimental investigation of enhanced CO2 mass transfer in water-saturated porous media, Interpore-Shell meeting, Shell, Rijswijk, the Netherlands. (Poster)
  2. Eftekhari, A.A. (March 2011). experimental validation of natural convection in aquifer storage of CO2. NUPUS meeting, Freudenstadt, Germany (Presentation)
  3. Eftekhari, A.A. (January 2010). Theoretical, practical, and sustainable exergetic recovery of energy resources. Annual research meeting, Department of Geotechnology, Delft University of Technology. (Poster)
  4. Eftekhari, A.A. (2009). Cyclic production of carbon dioxide-rich and hydrogen-rich gas in Underground coal gasification. Geo-engineering lecture series, Delft University of Technology. (Presentation)
  5. Eftekhari, A.A. (2008). An introduction to exergy analysis. Geo-engineering lecture series, Delft University of Technology. (Presentation)
  6. Eftekhari, A.A. (March 2008). Physical and chemical equilibrium of CO2-Water-Mineral system using Aspen Plus process simulator. NUPUS meeting, Freudenstadt, Germany. (Presentation)