Staff Profile

Dr Anh Phan is a Senior Lecturer of Chemical Engineering in the School of Engineering at Newcastle University. 

Area of expertise

• Cold plasma technologies (for chemical and biorefining processes)
• Advanced thermochemical conversion (pyrolysis, gasification) 
• Combustion
• Biofuel processing
• Reactor engineering/process intensification
• Plastic waste treatment

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Research Interests

• Pyrolysis/Gasification/Combustion
• Process Intensification
• Kinetic modelling
• Biofuel processing
• Biodiesel production
• Cold plasma technologies

Research themes:

• Reactor Engineering (CME2024)
• Reactor Systems Engineering (CME3035- Module leader)
• Chemical Engineering Laboratory II (CME3040- Module leader until 2018)
• Separation Processes 1 (CME2022)
• Plant Design (CME3039)
• MEng Research Project (CME8117)

• Okot DK, Bilsborrow PE, Phan AN. Briquetting characteristics of bean straw-maize cob blend. Biomass and Bioenergy 2019, 126, 150-158.
• Prasertcharoensuk P, Bull SJ, Phan AN. Gasification of waste biomass for hydrogen production: effects of pyrolysis parameters. Renewable Energy 2019, 143, 112-120.
• Okoro V, Azimov U, Munoz J, Hernandez HH, Phan AN. Microalgae cultivation and harvesting: Growth performance and use of flocculants - A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2019, 115, 109364.
• Ahmed SMR, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Scale-Up of Gas-Liquid Mass Transfer in Oscillatory Multiorifice Baffled Reactors (OMBRs). Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 2019, 58(15), 5929-5935.
• McDonough JR, Ahmed SMR, Phan AN, Harvey AP. The development of helical vortex pairs in oscillatory flows – A numerical and experimental study. Chemical Engineering and Processing - Process Intensification 2019, 143, 107588.
• Diaz-Silvarrey LS, McMahon A, Phan AN. Benzoic acid recovery via waste poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) catalyticpyrolysis using sulphated zirconia catalyst. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2018, 134, 621-631.
• Mustaffar A, Phan A, Boodhoo KVK. Bi-Directional Thermal Control of Twin Screw Granulation Process Via a Specialised Annular Heat Pipe. In: AIChE 2018 Spring Meeting and 14th Global Congress on Process Safety. 2018, Orlando, Florida: AIChE.
• Abbas A, Mariana LT, Phan AN. Biomass-waste derived graphene quantum dots and their applications. Carbon 2018, 140, 77-99.
• Harris J, Phan AN, Zhang K. Cold plasma catalysis as a novel approach for valorisation of untreated waste glycerol. Green Chemistry 2018, 20(11), 2578-2587.
• Law R, Ahmed S, Tang N, Phan AN, Harvey A. Development of a more robust correlation for predicting heat transfer performance in oscillatory baffled reactors . Chemical Engineering & Processing: Process Intensification 2018, 125, 133-138.
• Okot DK, Bilsborrow PE, Phan AN. Effects of operating parameters on maize COB briquette quality. Biomass and Bioenergy 2018, 112, 61-72.
• Mustaffar A, Phan AN, Boodhoo K. Hybrid heat pipe screw dryer: A novel, continuous and highly energy-efficient drying technology. Chemical Engineering & Processing-Process Intensification 2018, 128, 199-215.
• Mustaffar A, Phan A, Boodhoo KVK. Hybrid Heat Pipe Screw Dryer: A Novel, Continuous and Highly Energy-Efficient Drying Technology. In: AIChE 2018 Spring Meeting and 14th Global Congress on Process Safety. 2018, Orlando, Florida: AIChE.
• Eze VC, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Intensified one-step biodiesel production from high water and free fatty acid waste cooking oils. Fuel 2018, 220, 567-574.
• Boodhoo KVK, Phan A, Zivkovic V, Eze V, Mustaffar A. Intensified-By-Design (IbD): Creating a Platform for Facilitating Process Intensification in Solids Handling Applications. In: AIChE 2018 Spring Meeting and 14th Global Congress on Process Safety. 2018, Orlando, Florida: AIChE.
• Ahmed SMR, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Mass transfer enhancement as a function of oscillatory baffled reactor design. Chemical Engineering and Processing - Process Intensification 2018, 130, 229-239.
• Diaz-Silvarrey LS, Zhang K, Phan AN. Monomer recovery through advanced pyrolysis of waste high density polyethylene (HDPE). Green Chemistry 2018, 20(8), 1813-1823.
• Prasertcharoensuk P, Hernandez DA, Bull SJ, Phan AN. Optimisation of a throat downdraft gasifier for hydrogen production. Biomass and Bioenergy 2018, 116, 216-226.
• McDonough JR, Phan AN, Harvey AP. The mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactor facilitates intensified kinetics screening when the solvent is removed. Chemical Engineering and Processing - Process Intensification 2018, 129, 51-62.
• Ahmed SMR, Law R, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Thermal performance of meso-scale oscillatory baffled reactors. Chemical Engineering & Processing: Process Intensification 2018, 132, 25-33.
• Ahmed SMR, Law R, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Thermo-performance evaluation of meso oscillatory baffled reactors. In: ChemEngDay 2018. 2018, Leeds, UK.
• Wang H, Mustaffar A, Phan A, Zivkovic V, Reay D, Law R, Boodhoo K. A review of process intensification applied to solids handling. Chemical Engineering and Processing 2017, 118, 78-107.
• McDonough JR, Ahmed SMR, Phan AN, Harvey AP. A study of the flow structures generated by oscillating flows in a helical baffled tube. Chemical Engineering Science 2017, 171, 160-178.
• Zhang K, Zhang G, Liu X, Phan AN, Luo K. A study on CO₂ decomposition to CO and O₂ by the combination of catalysis and dielectric barrier discharges at low temperatures and ambient pressure. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2017, 56(12), 3204-3216.
• Eze VC, Fisher JC, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Intensification of Carboxylic Acid Esterification using a Solid Catalyst in a Mesoscale Oscillatory Baffled Reactor Platform. Chemical Engineering Journal 2017, 322, 205-214.
• Diaz-Silvarrey LS, Phan AN. Kinetic study of municipal plastic waste. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 2016, 41(37), 16352–16364.
• McDonough JR, Phan AN, Reay DA, Harvey AP. Passive isothermalisation of an exothermic reaction in flow using a novel "Heat Pipe Oscillatory Baffled Reactor (HPOBR)". Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification 2016, 110, 201-213.
• Eze VC, Harvey AP, Phan AN. Determination of the kinetics of biodiesel saponification in alcoholic hydroxide solutions. Fuel 2015, 140, 724-730.
• McDonough JR, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Rapid process development using oscillatory baffled mesoreactors - A state-of-the-art review. Chemical Engineering Journal 2015, 265, 110-121.
• Lim MT, Phan A, Roddy D, Harvey A. Technologies for measurement and mitigation of particulate emissions from domestic combustion of biomass: A review. Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews 2015, 49, 574-584.
• Eze VC, Phan AN, Harvey AP. A more robust model of the biodiesel reaction, allowing identification of process conditions for significantly enhanced rate and water tolerance. Bioresource Technology 2014, 156, 222-231.
• Bach QV, Tran KQ, Skreiberg O, Khalil RA, Phan AN. Effects of wet torrefaction on reactivity and kinetics of wood under air combustion conditions. Fuel 2014, 137, 375-383.
• Eze VC, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Two-stage catalytic conversions of triglycerides into methyl esters and solketal: A novel biodiesel process. In: 21st International Congress of Chemical and Process Engineering, CHISA 2014 and 17th Conference on Process Integration, Modelling and Optimisation for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction, PRES 2014. 2014, Prague: Czech Society of Chemical Engineering.
• Eze VC, Phan AN, Pirez C, Harvey AP, Lee AF, Wilson K. Heterogeneous catalysis in an oscillatory baffled flow reactor. Catalysis Science and Technology 2013, 3(9), 2373-2379.
• Abernethy RA, Phan AN, Harvey AP. L-glutamic acid crystallization in a mesoscale oscillatory baffled crystallizer. In: Process Development Division 2013 - Core Programming Area at the 2013 AIChE Annual Meeting: Global Challenges for Engineering a Sustainable Future. 2013, San Francisco, CA, USA: AIChE.
• Rasdi FRM, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Rapid determination of reaction order and rate constants of an imine synthesis reaction using a mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactor. Chemical Engineering Journal 2013, 222, 282-291.
• Phan AN, Harvey AP. Characterisation of mesoscale oscillatory helical baffled reactor-Experimental approach. Chemical Engineering Journal 2012, 180(2012), 229-236.
• Solano JP, Herrero R, Espin S, Phan AN, Harvey AP. Numerical study of the flow pattern and heat transfer enhancement in oscillatory baffled reactors with helical coil inserts. In: 3rd European Process Intensification Conference (EPIC). 2012, Manchester, UK: Elsevier Ltd.
• Phan AN, Harvey AP, Eze V. Rapid Production of Biodiesel in Mesoscale Oscillatory Baffled Reactors. Chemical Engineering & Technology 2012, 35(7), 1214-1220.
• Phan AN, Harvey A, Lavender J. Characterisation of fluid mixing in novel designs of mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactors operating at low flow rates (0.3-0.6 ml/min). Chemical Engineering and Processing 2011, 50(3), 254-263.
• Phan AN, Harvey AP, Rawcliffe M. Continuous screening of base-catalysed biodiesel production using New designs of mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactors. Fuel Processing Technology 2011, 92(8), 1560-1567.
• Phan AN, Harvey AP. Effect of geometrical parameters on fluid mixing in novel mesoscale oscillatory helical baffled designs. Chemical Engineering Journal 2011, 169(1-3), 339-347.
• Herrero R, Solano JP, Harvey AP, Phan AN. Flow field and heat transfer characteristics in oscillatory flow reactors with helical coil inserts. In: European Process Intensification Conference (EPIC). 2011, Manchester, UK.
• Phan AN, Harvey AP. Novel mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactors- Development and characterisation. In: European Process Intensification Conference (EPIC). 2011, Manchester, UK.
• Phan AN, Harvey A. Development and evaluation of novel designs of continuous mesoscale oscillatory baffled reactors. Chemical Engineering Journal 2010, 159(1-3), 212-219.
• Phan AN, Sharafi V, Swithenbank J. Effect of bed depth on characterisation of slow pyrolysis products. Fuel 2009, 88(8), 1383-1387.
• Harvey AP, Phan AN. RTD Studies of Oscillatory Baffled Mesoreactors: Effect of Baffle Geometry. In: World Congress of Chemical Engineering. 2009, Montreal, Canada.
• Ryu C, Yang YB, Gilbert P, Chung W, Phan AN, Le AK, Khor A, Chen Q, Sharifi VN, Swithenbank J. Waste segregation presents thermal treatment opportunities. Proceedings of Institution of Civil Engineers: Waste and Resource Management 2009, 162(1), 45-59.
• Phan AN, Phan TM. Biodiesel production from waste cooking oils. Fuel 2008, 87(17-18), 3490-3496.
• Phan AN, Ryu C, Sharifi VN, Swithenbank J. Characterisation of slow pyrolysis products from segregated wastes for energy production. Journal of Analytical and Applied Pyrolysis 2007, 81(1), 65-71.
• Ryu C, Phan AN, Sharifi VN, Swithenbank J. Co-combustion of textile residues with cardboard and waste wood in a packed bed. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 2007, 32(2), 450-458.
• Ryu C, Phan AN, Sharifi VN, Swithenbank J. Combustion of textile residues in a packed bed. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 2007, 31(8), 887-895.
• Ryu C, Phan AN, Yang YB, Sharifi VN, Swithenbank J. Ignition and burning rates of segregated waste combustion in packed beds. Waste Mangement 2007, 27(6), 802-810.
• Yang YB, Phan AN, Ryu C, Sharifi V, Swithenbank J. Mathematical modelling of slow pyrolysis of segregated solid wastes in a packed-bed pyrolyser. Fuel 2007, 86(1-2), 169-180.