Education
- PhD, Energy Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell (2020–2025) — Dissertation: Investigating Intrinsic Instabilities of Spherically Expanding Flames in a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber Using Image Processing and Machine Learning
- MS, Energy Systems Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan (2016–2020) — Thesis: Spectrum Splitting of Solar Radiation for Efficient Conversion via Photovoltaics
- BE, Electrical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan (2012–2016)
Teaching Experience
- CricFlex (Zigzag Technologies Pvt. Ltd.), Pakistan: Research Associate (2025–Present)
- Energy and Combustion Research Lab (ECRL), University of Massachusetts Lowell: Research Assistant (2020–2025)
- National Institute of Electronics (NIE), Pakistan: Research Officer, IC Design Centre (2017–2021)
Biography
Dr. Behlol Nawaz is an energy engineer whose research combines experimental combustion science with image processing and machine learning to study flame instabilities and low-carbon fuel chemistry. His doctoral work at the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Energy and Combustion Research Lab investigated intrinsic instabilities of spherically expanding flames using a Constant Volume Combustion Chamber, high-speed schlieren imaging, and custom machine learning pipelines built in Python. His research spans hydrogen and ammonia combustion, nitrogen oxide emissions, and minimum ignition energy prediction using Cantera simulations.
A Fulbright Foreign Student Scholar, Dr. Nawaz completed his PhD in Energy Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell following an MS in Energy Systems Engineering and a BE in Electrical Engineering from the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Pakistan. Prior to his doctoral studies, he served as a Research Officer at Pakistan’s National Institute of Electronics, where he worked on IC design and FPGA prototyping.
Research Interests
- Experimental Combustion
- Flame Instabilities
- Hydrogen and Ammonia Combustion
- Low Carbon Fuels
- Image Processing
- Machine Learning for Combustion
- High Speed Schlieren Imaging
- Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) Emissions
- Minimum Ignition Energy Prediction
- Cantera Simulations
Selected Publications
- “Detection of Intrinsic Instabilities From Pressure Traces of Spherically Expanding Flames Using Time Series Classification,” with Md Nayer Nasim, Shubhra Kanti Das, Ruizhe Ma, & J. Hunter Mack, ASME Open Journal of Engineering, 4 (2025): 044501
- “Impact of Noble Gas Working Fluids on Laminar Burning Velocity and Intrinsic Instability of Premixed Methane Flames,” with Md Nayer Nasim, Shubhra Kanti Das, Mammadbaghir Baghirzade, & J. Hunter Mack, ASME Open Journal of Engineering, 4 (2025): 041020
- “Combustion Characteristics and Emissions of Nitrogen Oxides (NO, NO2, N2O) from Spherically Expanding Laminar Flames of Ammonia–Hydrogen Blends,” with Md Nayer Nasim et al., International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 65 (2024): 164–176
- “Manipulating Hydrogen Oxy-Combustion Through Carbon Dioxide Addition,” with Md Nayer Nasim, Shubhra Kanti Das, et al., Fuel, 357, Part B (2024): 129844
- “Effect of Intake Airflow and Fuel Injection Pressure on Swirling Flame Characteristics of Diesel and JP-8,” with Shubhra Kanti Das et al., Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo 2025
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