He obtained his Batchelor Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of L’Aquila (Italy) in 1981, then his Ph. D. and D. Sc. (Eng) from the University of London (U.K.) in 1988 and 1997 respectively, both in the field of Chemical Engineering.

After a short industrial experience soon after obtaining his first degree, Renzo Di Felice has held a position of “Ricercatore Universitario” (equivalent to Assistant Professor) at the University of L’Aquila from 1983 to 1992. During this period he spent two years at the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University College London, as Research Assistant.

Other, more recent, experiences abroad include teaching and research spells at the University of Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and at the National University of Singapore (Singapore).

Renzo Di Felice’s research activity has been focused on the fluid dynamic behaviour of two-phase suspensions, with particular relevance on liquid fluidization of solid particles and on sedimentation velocity of spheres.

In this field he has gained an international reputation, demonstrated for example by the invited review on the fluid dynamic of liquid fluidization published in Chemical Engineering Science.

More recently he has taken a scientific interest in the modelling of multiphase catalytic reactors. Renzo Di Felice has authored more than one hundred papers in international scientific journals.

He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE), and of the Associazione Italiana di Ingegneria Chimica (AIDIC), where he is Director of the Reaction Engineering Division.

Dr Paolo Pagliai - Research Associate

Topics

Reaction Engineering Fuel Processing and Cleanup Multiphase Flow  Particle Technology

Has received his degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Genoa and obtained a PhD in Chemical Engineering form University College of London in 2005. He is currently working as research associate at the Dept. of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA).

Area of research – topics:

• Reaction Kinetics – High temperature PAHs thermal cracking; Biomass thermo-chemical conversion.
• Separation Technology – Low temperature Hydrogen Sulphide removal and CO2 capture.
• Multiphase flow – Liquid-solid Suspensions and Fluidisation.
• Particle Technology: Particle-particle adhesion forces and binder wettability in granulation and high temperature gas-solid fluidisation.

Research Associate (2005-2006)

PhD (2005)

Marco is working on the mathematical modelling of membrane-contactor reactor for the sequestration of carbon dioxide. This problem is developed  in collaboration with the Department of Chemistry and TICASS consortium.

He is also working on modelling, simulations and experiments in the field of multiphase flow, with a focus on liquid-fluidized bed and circulating fluidized bed. A drag model for binary-solid systems was defined and validated via lab experiments. The simulation analysis has been developed during the time Marco spent at Princeton University and University College of London.