Doctorate Alok Kumar Ray: Assistant Professor at National Institute of Technology Jamshedpur, India

Dr. Alok Kumar Ray is a Mechanical and Energy Engineer with over 11 years of academic, research, and industrial experience in fluid and thermal sciences. He specializes in the design, simulation, and experimental validation of sustainable energy systems, particularly high-temperature thermal energy storage integrated with supercritical CO₂ Brayton cycles. A technically accomplished researcher and educator, Dr. Ray’s work combines computational fluid dynamics, system-level modeling, material characterization, and techno-economic analysis. His research contributions have been published in high-impact journals, and he is passionate about bridging the gap between renewable energy research and scalable industrial applications.

Online Profiles

Google Scholar Profile

• Citations (115 total): Indicates that the author’s work has received moderate attention, with all citations occurring since 2020 — suggesting recent and growing influence.

• h-index (5): This means the author has at least 5 papers each cited 5 or more times. It reflects a modest but solid publication impact, especially for a researcher active within the last 5 years.

• i10-index (3): The author has 3 publications cited at least 10 times, showing that a few papers are gaining traction and visibility in the field.

Dr. Ray actively engages with the global research and engineering community through professional platforms. His detailed academic and project portfolio is available on LinkedIn, and he can be contacted via email at ray705906@gmail.com. He maintains regular academic correspondence and collaborative networking through professional groups, conferences, and workshops.

Education

Dr. Ray holds a joint doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Energy and Mechanical Sciences from the University of Queensland (Australia) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) under the prestigious UQIDAR program, completed with distinction in 2023. He completed his M.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Fluid and Thermal Sciences from IIT Kanpur in 2013. His academic journey began with a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from VSSUT Burla, where he graduated with distinction. His solid academic foundation is reinforced by competitive fellowships and top-tier institutional training in experimental and computational thermal sciences.

Research Focus

Dr. Ray’s research integrates thermal engineering fundamentals with real-world energy challenges. His core areas include high-temperature phase change materials (PCMs), latent heat thermal storage systems, supercritical CO₂ power cycles, concentrated solar power (CSP), and hybrid water-energy systems like membrane distillation. His work combines numerical modeling (CFD using ANSYS Fluent and COMSOL), system simulations (Python, Aspen Plus), and experimental investigations (DSC, IR camera, TGA) to evaluate and optimize the thermophysical and economic performance of sustainable thermal technologies. His multidisciplinary expertise enables comprehensive system-level design, analysis, and validation of advanced thermal solutions for energy storage, industrial heat recovery, and solar-thermal applications.

Experience

Dr. Ray’s professional experience spans academia, research institutions, and industry. He is currently serving as a contractual Assistant Professor at NIT Jamshedpur, where he teaches and supervises research in thermal engineering. Prior to this, he worked at TATA Steel as a Researcher on waste heat recovery systems using thermophotovoltaic (TPV) and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) technologies. At Tsinghua University, he contributed to modeling the integration of membrane distillation systems with sCO₂ cycles. He has also held faculty roles at VSSUT Burla and PMEC Berhampur. In the industrial sector, his tenure at Whirlpool India involved simulation of coupled heat and mass transfer processes for household cooking appliances. His diverse roles reflect a blend of theoretical knowledge, practical application, and educational leadership.

Research Timeline

From December 2018 to June 2023, Dr. Ray conducted his doctoral research at IIT Delhi and the University of Queensland, developing a novel high-temperature latent heat storage system for integration with sCO₂ Brayton cycles. His research included CFD modeling, experimental setup design, material testing, and techno-economic assessments. In early 2023, he contributed to membrane distillation modeling during his short-term research at Tsinghua University. From mid-2023 to late 2024, he worked on waste heat recovery solutions at TATA Steel. He transitioned into academia in late 2024, beginning his tenure as an Assistant Professor while continuing to publish and collaborate internationally, including a Visiting Academic position at Cardiff University in 2025.

Awards & Honors

Dr. Ray’s academic excellence and research contributions have been recognized through several honors. He was awarded a Doctorate with Distinction from IIT Delhi in 2023. He received the UQIDAR Fellowship, one of the most competitive joint doctoral programs between India and Australia. In 2022, he was granted a CSIR Foreign Travel Grant to present his work internationally. He was also invited as a Visiting Academic to Cardiff University, UK, in 2025 to collaborate on energy systems modeling. These recognitions reflect both his scientific contributions and international research engagement.

Top-Noted Publication

Among Dr. Ray’s most impactful contributions is the article titled “Transient discharge performance of high-temperature latent storage system integrated with supercritical CO₂ Brayton cycle: A combined analytical and numerical study”, published in Journal of Energy Storage (Vol. 72, July 2023). This study uniquely integrates numerical simulation and analytical modeling to evaluate the thermal discharge dynamics of a latent heat storage unit under realistic operating conditions of an sCO₂ power cycle. The work provides critical insights for CSP plant designers and thermal system integrators, and it has garnered attention for its novelty and practical relevance in the transition to cleaner energy technologies.

1. Sustainable Thermal Distillation Using Supercritical CO₂

Citation:
AK Ray
Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry, 150(8), 14488 (2025)

Focus:

• Integration of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) power cycles with direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD).
• Targets enhanced thermal efficiency and sustainability in water purification.
• Investigates recovery and utilization of waste heat from sCO₂ systems to drive the distillation process.

Key Insight:
An innovative coupling of advanced thermodynamic cycles with membrane separation technology for efficient low-grade heat utilization.

2. Comparative Thermodynamic Analysis of Solar ORC with Latent Heat Storage

Citation:
M Kumar, AK Ray, D Rakshit
Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, 47 (2025)

Focus:

• Direct vapor generation solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) integrated with latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES).
• Comparative study of multiple organic working fluids to assess thermodynamic performance.
• Aims at maximizing thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency in solar power systems.

Key Insight:
Fluid selection and proper integration with latent heat storage significantly influence the overall system performance.

3. Thermo-Economic Assessment of Metallic High-Temperature LHTES

Citation:
AK Ray, S Vashisht, D Rakshit, RK Kandasamy, H Gurgenci
Frontiers in Thermal Engineering, 5, 1549926 (2025)

Focus:

• Design and evaluation of metallic-based latent heat storage systems for high-temperature applications.
• Combines thermodynamic modeling with economic analysis.
• Assesses trade-offs between thermal performance and cost across different metallic materials and configurations.

Key Insight:
Metallic LHTES units show strong potential for industrial energy storage but require careful material and design optimization for cost-effectiveness.

4. Experimental and Computational Study of Shell-and-Tube LHTES

Citation:
AK Ray, D Rakshit, KR Kumar, H Gurgenci
Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 102969 (2024)

Focus:

• Experimental validation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of a medium- to high-temperature shell-and-tube LHTES.
• Analysis of heat transfer, phase change dynamics, and performance parameters.

Key Insight:
Presents a robust framework for analyzing and optimizing latent heat storage performance under varying thermal and flow conditions.

5. Instability Modes in Electro-Hydro-Dynamic Atomization

Citation:
AK Ray
Flow, Turbulence and Combustion, 24, 50–77 (2024)

Focus:

• Investigation of electrohydrodynamic (EHD) atomization mechanisms, focusing on droplet formation instabilities.
• Combines theoretical modeling with experimental studies.
• Explores different modes of instability and scaling relationships.

Key Insight:
Advances fundamental understanding of EHD spray behavior, with implications for high-precision atomization technologies.