Transport Phenomena & Porous Media for the Energy Transition

I am a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at The University of Manchester. My research lies at the interface of transport phenomena, thermodynamics, multiphase flow, and reactive transport in porous and process systems, with applications in sustainable and net-zero technologies, subsurface energy, and advanced porous materials.

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Mehrdad Vasheghani Farahani, PhD, AFHEA, MRSC

Lecturer in Chemical Engineering

The University of Manchester, UK

About me

I am a porous media researcher, with a PhD in GeoEnergy Engineering from Heriot-Watt University (UK) and BSc/MSc degrees in Petroleum Engineering from Sharif University of Technology (Iran). My research focuses on understanding and modelling coupled thermo–hydro–chemical processes in complex porous and process systems, from pore-scale physics to continuum-scale behaviour.

Methodologically, I combine advanced experiments (microfluidics, X-ray micro-CT, MRI, μPIV and fluorescence imaging) with numerical modelling (lattice Boltzmann modelling, pore-network modelling, CFD) and data-driven approaches to address challenges in carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS), hydrogen storage, gas hydrates, and subsurface energy engineering.

I enjoy working at the interface of disciplines and collaborating with academic, industrial and synchrotron partners to translate fundamental understanding into impact for the energy transition.

Current role

Lecturer in Chemical Engineering (2026–present), Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester, UK.

  • Developing research across transport phenomena, multiphase flow, thermodynamics, reactive transport, and sustainable porous media technologies.
  • Integrating advanced experiments, numerical modelling, and data-driven approaches across energy, environmental, and materials engineering applications.
  • Teaching numerical modelling and subsurface physicochemical processes, supervising postgraduate researchers, and co-leading the IMPRES research group.
Recent positions
  • Research Fellow (2025–2026), Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester, UK.
  • Postdoctoral Research Associate (2023–2025), Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester, UK (EPSRC PINCH project on CO₂ injectivity in hyper-saline aquifers).
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2022–2023), School of Engineering, University of Warwick, UK (LBM and microfluidics for contaminant transport and mixing in porous geomaterials).
Key themes
  • • Porous media technologies
  • • Transport phenomena in porous media
  • • Gas hydrate science and technologies
  • • Advanced porous materials
  • • CCUS and net-zero technologies
  • • Multiscale modelling
  • • Artificial intelligence and machine learning

Research

My research sits at the intersection of transport phenomena, thermodynamics, multiphase flow, and reactive transport in porous and process systems. I integrate advanced experimental studies, numerical modelling, and data-driven analysis to understand, design, and optimise coupled physicochemical processes in energy, environmental, and materials engineering.

My research work spans scales from the pore level (μm) to the large systems, with applications in CCUS and net zero technologies, subsurface energy storage, gas hydrates, and emerging porous media technologies.

Methodological toolbox
  • High-pressure / high-temperature microfluidics with μPIV and LIF for pore-scale flow, mixing, and salt precipitation.
  • X-ray micro-CT, MRI, and optical imaging for 3D/4D characterisation of porous structures and transport processes.
  • Lattice Boltzmann and pore-network modelling for multiphase flow, evaporation–precipitation, and non-Fickian solute transport.
  • Thermodynamic and transport modelling for CO₂- and H₂-rich systems and gas hydrates.
  • Data-driven and machine-learning approaches for image analysis, upscaling, and model reduction.
Current research directions
  • CO₂ storage and injectivity in saline aquifers
    Pore- and core-scale studies of brine evaporation, salt precipitation, and permeability impairment, combining microfluidics, LBM, and X-ray imaging.
  • Multiscale transport and non-Fickian behaviour
    Comparative evaluation of continuum and pore-scale models for anomalous transport in unsaturated and heterogeneous porous media.
  • Gas hydrates and cryogenic processes
    Thermal and geophysical signatures of hydrate-bearing sediments, and hydrate-based technologies for CCUS, separation, and cold-region energy systems.
  • Advanced porous materials and sustainable technologies
    Aerogels, functional sorbents, additively manufactured structures, and porous electrodes for insulation, separation, electrochemical systems, and carbon capture.

I am always open to collaboration on transport phenomena, multiscale modelling, and porous media technologies that support the energy transition.

Teaching & Supervision

Teaching

In the 2026/27 academic year, I contribute to the following taught units at The University of Manchester:

  • CHEN40451 / CHEN60451 – Fundamentals of Numerical Modelling and Simulation, taught with Professor Andrew Masters.
  • CHEN60471 – Subsurface Physical-Chemical Processes, taught with Dr Lin Ma.
Postgraduate supervision

I supervise and mentor postgraduate researchers working across porous media, subsurface energy, transport modelling, and related topics.

  • PhD researchers: Tongke Zhou, Arash Pourakaberian, Mahtab Shahrzadi, and Aidan Folwer.
  • MSc supervision: research projects in numerical modelling, porous media, and transport phenomena.

Service & Leadership

Professional service
  • Journal reviewer for journals including Geoenergy Science & Engineering, Fuel, Advances in Water Resources, Chemical Engineering Science, Water Resources Research, Physics of Fluids, Review of Scientific Instruments, Energies, JMSE, Processes, and InterPore Journal.
  • Lead Guest Editor for the Research Topic Subsurface CO₂ Sequestration: Advances, Challenges, and Pathways to Net Zero in Frontiers in Earth Science – Georeservoirs.
  • Invited talks at Shell Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam, TU Delft, Tabriz University of Technology, the Iranian Association of Chemical Engineers, and UK universities.
Leadership and community roles
  • Co-Lead, Integrated Multiscale Porous Media Research Group (IMPRES) – contributing to the strategic development, research activities, and collaborative culture of the group.
  • Former Chemical Engineering PDRA Representative and Forum Chair – represented research staff and supported the research-staff community in the Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester.
  • Organiser / co-organiser of workshops and events, including the 7th UK InterPore Chapter meeting (Manchester), a Turbulent Mixing in Porous Media workshop (Warwick), and skills workshops on machine learning, data visualisation, and deep learning with PyTorch.
  • Chair of the 2025 Postgraduate Research Conference, Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Manchester.
  • IMPRES Group Webmaster – maintaining and developing the group's online research profile.
  • Porous Media Research Collaborator, International Society for Porous Media (InterPore).

Contact

If you are interested in collaboration on porous media, CCUS, gas hydrates, subsurface energy, advanced porous materials, or related topics, feel free to get in touch.

Email: mehrdad.vasheghanifarahani@manchester.ac.uk

Office: +44 (0)161 275 8276

This site is intended as a personal research profile. For student or administrative enquiries at The University of Manchester, please use official university communication channels.