Dr. Tapas Kumar Patra

Research

• Agro-residue Gasification for thermal, electrical and green chemical applications.
• Design and development of continuous torrefaction reactor
• MSW gasification for green hydrogen production
• Process modelling, optimization and Techno-economic analysis of biomass to hydrogen production process

Aside from these major research topics following projects are ongoing

• Densification of agro-waste and assessment for its application in the gasifier (Funding agency: MNRE, New Delhi): This project focuses on the collection and analysis of six different types of agro-waste: paddy straw, corn stover, sweet sorghum, millet residues, cotton sticks, and mustard crop residues. These biomass materials are being characterized for their physicochemical properties and subsequently densified, both with and without binders. The densified samples are then assessed for their physicochemical and mechanical properties to evaluate their potential as feedstock for gasification systems.
• Complete Ash Analysis of Biomass Pellets and Co-Combusted Fuels (Funding agency: Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore): This project aims to analyze the ash composition of biomass pellets and their co-combustion with coal to enhance the performance and emissions profile of thermal power plants. Key objectives include determining the cation and anion composition along with ash fusion characteristics of ash of various biomass sources and developing recommendations for optimal blending with coal.
• Prediction of biomass to Hydrogen production potential in India using GCAM modeling: Under SAGE 2.0, a project in collaboration with PNNL is being conducted to predict India's biomass-to-hydrogen production potential using GCAM modeling. The project involves data collection on biomass-to-hydrogen pathways, analysis of technology readiness levels, and identifying end applications for green hydrogen. GCAM modeling is applied to integrate biohydrogen into industrial and transport sectors. SSS NIBE leads data collection, while GCAM analysis is jointly undertaken with PNNL.
• To Optimize Coal and Agro-Wastes Mixing and Feeding for Co-Milling for Thermal Power Plants with Minimum Changes to Installed Systems and Operations (DST, GoI): This project aims to optimise the blending and co-milling of biomass pellets (agro-residues) with coal for use in thermal power plants with minimal modifications to existing systems. Key deliverables include a virtual simulation platform, a co-milling design guide, and improved practices for biomass utilisation to enhance efficiency and reduce emissions. The research, spanning 24 months, will develop computational tools and experimental methods to characterise coal-biomass mixtures, optimise their milling performance, and suggest practical solutions for co-firing in power plants. The project is jointly led by teams of Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy (SSS-NIBE), Kapurthala, and Thapar Institute (TIET), Patiala. The team includes Dr. Kunwar Pal and Dr. Tapas Kumar Patra, from SSS-NIBE, and Dr. S.S. Mallick, Dr. Ashish Purohit, Dr. Sanghamitra Barman, and Dr. Kundan Lal, from TIET.
• Design and development of torrefaction reactor (In-house): The team of scientists at SSS-NIBE have studied different aspects of biomass-based pellets production and aspects of utilization of biomass pellets for co-firing with coal. It was found that torrefied pellets are more suitable as compared to non-torrefied pellets due to their features being more similar to coal with lower volatile contents and higher GCV attributes. Therefore, it has become necessary to study the torrefaction technology that can produce torrefied biomass as substitute of pulverized coal for the existing large capacity thermal power plants.
• Development of Syngas combustor (In-house): A combustor is designed in this research to burn the producer gas produced through gasification. In order to improve fuel-air mixing and flame stabilization, the combustor was equipped with tangential fuel and air inlets that generated a swirling flow within it. The optimal dimension of the combustor was determined using the results of the CFD simulation.

Group Member

Deepanshu Awasthi

Junior Research Fellow

Deepanshu Awasthi obtained his B.Tech degree from the department of chemical engineering , Beant College of Engineering and Technology, Gurdaspur in 2020.. During his bachelor’s program he obtained NCC ‘C’ certificate in army wing, was silver medalist in IKGPTU Inter College Kabaddi tournament representing as team captain. He completed his master’s in nanoscience and nanotechnology from CNSNT, Panjab University, Chandigarh in 2022. His thesis work was studies on impact of nanocatalyst on production and physicochemical characteristics of some vegetable oil-based biofuels under the guidance of Dr. Anil K. Sarma , SSS NIBE and Dr. Bharat Bajaj, CNSNT. During his master’s he also worked on a project with CIBiod, PGI, Chandigarh and worked in lab for extraction of cellulose from Agro waste and its further functionalization.

He joined SSS NIBE, thermochemical conversion division in 2022 and currently working under the guidance of Dr. Nikhil Gakkhar and Dr. Tapas Patra. His research interest are focused on biomass gasification and additives. His hobbies include playing and watching outdoor sports and writing slam poetry.

Mr. Bhautik Gajera

Research Associate

Bhautik Gajera obtained his B.Tech degree in Agricultural Engineering from Navasari Agricultural University, Navasari (Guj.) and M.Tech degree in Renewable Energy from MPUAT, Udaipur (Raj.). He worked on the pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of biomass residues to develop a biofuel supply chain in his master’s thesis at MPUAT under the supervision of Dr. N. L. Panwar.

Presently, he is working as a Research Fellow under the supervision of Dr. Anil Kumar Sarma in the Chemical Conversion Division, SSS-NIBE, Kapurthala, and is working in Central Power Research Institute, Government of India, sanctioned project in the area of complete ash analysis of different biomass residues. He has pursuing his PhD degree from the Centre for Energy and Environment, National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar. Bhautik enjoys playing badminton, traveling, and cooking.

Dr. Arghya Datta

RA/Post-doctoral Fellow

Dr. Arghya Datta received his Ph.D from Thapar Institute of Technology, Patiala. He received a fellowship from Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, GoI during his PhD to work on residence time distribution studies in reactors with recirculation. He completed his masters from Thapar Institute of Technology, Patiala, and his bachelors from Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur in Chemical Engineering.

He joined Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy, Kapurthala as a research associate in 2022 and is working in a Central Power Research Institute, GoI sanctioned project in the area of complete ash analysis of different biomass residues under the supervision of Dr. tapas Kumar Patra and Dr. Anil Kumar Sarma.

He has published four peer reviewed SCI indexed research articles, three national and two international conference presentations. His research interest includes waste to energy, gasification, process design, reactor engineering, biomass characterization, bio-hydrogen/bio ammonia production through biomass gasification, and removal of heavy metals from aqueous sources using reactive extraction.

Mr. Manish Gupta

RA/Post-doctoral Fellow

Manish Gupta is perusing his part-time Ph.D. in Thermal Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He has completed his master’s degree in production engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. His Ph.D. work focuses on characterization of biomass residues and the combustion characteristics of biomass pellets. During his Phd work, he completed two industrial projects based on improved biomass cookstoves and natural draft biomass cookstoves in collaboration with RuTAG IIT Delhi and M/S EcoSense Private Limited, Aurangabad, Maharashtra. He has published two international conference papers.

He has joined as a research associate in the thermal conversion division at SSS-NIBE in April 2024. Currently, his area of research is focused on the design of a torrefaction reactor and CFD analysis of the development of a syngas combustor.

Dr. Rachit Poddar

RA/Post-doctoral Fellow

Dr. Rachit Poddar: Dr. Rachit Poddar started his academic journey with a B.Tech and M.Tech in Mechanical Engineering, followed by a Ph.D in Powder Technology from Thapar Institute, Patiala. His research interests primarily lie in the areas of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), discrete element method (DEM) simulations, and the characterisation of powder properties, particularly in industrial handling applications of coal-biomass, food, pharmaceutical, construction, etc.

He has joined the Thermo-Chemical Conversion Division at SSS-NIBE, Kapurthala, under the supervision of Dr. Kunwar Pal and Dr. Tapas Patra. He is presently working on optimising coal and agro-waste mixing and feeding for co-milling for thermal power plants with minimum changes to installed systems and operations.

Mr. Vishal Mourya

RA/Post-doctoral Fellow

Vishal Mourya currently works as a Research Associate position at Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy. He has six-month research experience as Research Associate at IIT Ropar. He received his full time Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad. The current research is regarding the CFD analysis of mixing of Coal-Biomass.

Lab

• 20 kWth Downdraft Gasifier with engine genset
• Biomass Briquette Machine
• Muffle Furnace
• Multi component Portable Gas Analyzer
• Elemental Analyzer (CHNS)
• Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA)
• Bomb Calorimeter
• Moisture Analyzer
• Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC)
• Ash Fusion Analyzer
• Portable Syn Gas Analyzer
• Pellet Machine
• Agro-residue based Downdraft Gasifier
• Combustion Ion Chromatograph

Publications

• Patra, T. K. and P. N. Sheth (2019). “Biomass gasification coupled with producer gas cleaning, bottling and HTS catalyst treatment for H2-rich gas production." International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 44 (23): 11602-11616.
• Patra, T. K., K. Sudeep Mukherjee, and P. N. Sheth (2019). "Process simulation of hydrogen rich gas production from producer gas using HTS catalysis." Energy 173: 1130-1140.
• Patra, T. K., K. R. Nimisha, and P. N. Sheth (2016). "A comprehensive dynamic model for downdraft gasifier using heat and mass transport coupled with reaction kinetics." Energy 116, Part 1: 1230-1242.
• Patra, T. K. and P. N. Sheth (2015). "Biomass gasification models for downdraft gasifier: A state-of-the-art review." Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 50: 583-593.
• Patra, T. K., K. N. Sheeba, P. Augusta and S. Jaisankar(2014). "Experimental study on the adsorption of malachite green in simulated and real effluent by bio-based adsorbents." International Journal of Green Energy 12(11): 1189-1195.
• Patra, T. K., andP.N.Sheth, “Parametric optimization Study of downdraft biomass gasification using a comprehensive transport and kinetic model”, in proceedings of 2017AIChE Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, USA, Oct 29- Nov 3, 2017.
•  Joshi, P., T. K. Patra andP.N.Sheth, "Design Modifications to Improve Tar cracking and Catalytic Tar reforming in Biomass Gasification Systems: A review", Proceedings of International Symposium & 70th Annual Session of IIChE in association with International Partners (CHEMCON-2017), Department of Chemical Engineering, Haldia Institute of Technology, Haldia, West Bengal, India, December 27-30, 2017.
• Patra, T. K. and P.N.Sheth,“Techno-economic assessment of thermochemical biomass conversion conversion technologies". In Recent Advancements in Biofuels and Bioenergy Utilization Editors: Sarangi, Prakash Kumar, Nanda, Sonil, Mohanty, Pravakar (Eds.) Springer Singapore (2018).
• Patra, T. K., K. N. Sheeba, P. Prakash (2013). “Performance study on an indirect natural convection solar dryer for drying banana.”eNREE 10 (1):3-11.
• Awasthi, D., Gajera, B., Godara, R., Datta, A., Gakkhar, N., & Patra, T. K., Process Design of Various Biomass Gasification Processes Using Aspen Plus and Its Effects on Syngas and Hydrogen Production. In Biomass Energy for Sustainable Development (pp. 260-278). CRC Press.
• Datta, Arghya, Bhautik Gajera, Manmit Saikia, Tapas Patra, and Anil Kumar Sarma., "A comprehensive analysis and optimization of coal–biomass mixed fuel for sustainable power generation using the design of experiments and artificial neural network." Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy (2024): 1-14.

Open Position