Energy, Fuel Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
8
Scopus Publications
435
Scholar Citations
12
Scholar h-index
14
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
Enhancing thermal efficiency of passive solar heating systems through copper chip integration: experimental investigation and analysis Ehsan Fadhil Abbas, Moaz Allehaibi, Hussein A Z AL-bonsrulah, Ruya Najmaldeen Saleh, Mohammed J Alshukri, Karim Zaghib International Journal of Low Carbon Technologies, 2024 This study aims to upgrade the thermal performance of a passive solar system, specifically a Trombe wall (TW), by incorporating a metallic absorbent made of copper chips into its absorbent surfaces. The paper compares the thermal performance of a classic TW with that of a copper chip-enhanced TW. An experimental test was set up for classic and copper chip–TW systems, and a full-day experiment was conducted in January 2018 to investigate the thermal performance under the same operating conditions. The experimental data were used to verify a mathematical model based on energy balance. The theoretical study agreed well with the experimental data, with a maximum error of 11% in the absorbent surface temperature valuation. The results revealed that adding copper chips to the TW system boosts its performance by increasing heat gains and improving thermal efficiency. It improves thermal efficiency and enhances the mean room temperature by 12.44% and 14.1%, respectively.
Comparative Study of Spark-Ignited and Pre-Chamber Hydrogen-Fueled Engine: A Computational Approach Hammam Aljabri, Mickael Silva, Moez Ben Houidi, Xinlei Liu, Moaz Allehaibi, Fahad Almatrafi, Abdullah S. AlRamadan, Balaji Mohan, Emre Cenker, Hong G. Im Energies, 2022 Hydrogen is a promising future fuel to enable the transition of transportation sector toward carbon neutrality. The direct utilization of H2 in internal combustion engines (ICEs) faces three major challenges: high NOx emissions, severe pressure rise rates, and pre-ignition at mid to high loads. In this study, the potential of H2 combustion in a truck-size engine operated in spark ignition (SI) and pre-chamber (PC) mode was investigated. To mitigate the high pressure rise rate with the SI configuration, the effects of three primary parameters on the engine combustion performance and NOx emissions were evaluated, including the compression ratio (CR), the air–fuel ratio, and the spark timing. In the simulations, the severity of the pressure rise was evaluated based on the maximum pressure rise rate (MPRR). Lower compression ratios were assessed as a means to mitigate the auto-ignition while enabling a wider range of engine operation. The study showed that by lowering CR from 16.5:1 to 12.5:1, an indicated thermal efficiency of 47.5% can be achieved at 9.4 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) conditions. Aiming to restrain the auto-ignition while maintaining good efficiency, growth in λ was examined under different CRs. The simulated data suggested that higher CRs require a higher λ, and due to practical limitations of the boosting system, λ at 4.0 was set as the limit. At a fixed spark timing, using a CR of 13.5 combined with λ at 3.33 resulted in an indicated thermal efficiency of 48.6%. It was found that under such lean conditions, the exhaust losses were high. Thus, advancing the spark time was assessed as a possible solution. The results demonstrated the advantages of advancing the spark time where an indicated thermal efficiency exceeding 50% was achieved while maintaining a very low NOx level. Finally, the optimized case in the SI mode was used to investigate the effect of using the PC. For the current design of the PC, the results indicated that even though the mixture is lean, the flame speed of H2 is sufficiently high to burn the lean charge without using a PC. In addition, the PC design used in the current work induced a high MPRR inside the PC and MC, leading to an increased tendency to engine knock. The operation with PC also increased the heat transfer losses in the MC, leading to lower thermal efficiency compared to the SI mode. Consequently, the PC combustion mode needs further optimizations to be employed in hydrogen engine applications.
Investigation of the Cryogenic Nitrogen and Non-Cryogenic N-Dodecane and Ammonia Injections using a Real-Fluid Modelling Approach Xinlei Liu, Abdullah Zaihi, Moaz Allehaibi, Balaji Mohan, Abdullah AlRamadan, Emre Cenker, Hong Im SAE International Journal of Advances and Current Practices in Mobility, 2022 <div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">In modern compression ignition engines, the dense liquid fuel is directly injected into high pressure and temperature atmosphere, so the spray transitions from subcritical to supercritical conditions. To gain better control of the spray-combustion heat release process, it is important to have a physically accurate description of the spray development process. This work explored the effect of real-fluid thermodynamics in the computational prediction of multiphase flow for two non-ideal situations: the cryogenic nitrogen and non-cryogenic n-dodecane and ammonia sprays. Three real-fluid equations of state (EoS) such as the Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK), Peng-Robinson (PR), and Redlich-Kwong-Peng-Robinson (RKPR) coupled with the real-fluid Chung transport model were implemented in OpenFoam to predict the real-fluid thermodynamic properties. Validations against the CoolProp database were conducted. The RKPR EoS demonstrated an overall better predictive performance compared to the SRK and PR EoS. Due to miscalculations of the thermodynamic properties under supercritical conditions, the cases using the ideal-gas EoS predicted the significantly distinct spray features from the cases using real-fluid EoS. For the cryogenic nitrogen spray simulations, cases using various real-fluid EoS yielded similar spray features because of the low injection rate and thus the weak ambient entrainment process. The reduction of ambient pressure promoted the turbulent mixing process for the n-dodecane spray due to the smaller ambient density and resistance. Compared to ammonia, n-dodecane had higher density and viscosity under supercritical conditions, which led to its higher jet velocity and more concentrated spray feature.</div></div>
Investigation of the Cryogenic Nitrogen and Non-Cryogenic N-Dodecane and Ammonia Injections using a Real-Fluid Modelling Approach Xinlei Liu, Abdullah Zaihi, Moaz Allehaibi, Balaji Mohan, Abdullah AlRamadan, Emre Cenker, Hong Im SAE Technical Papers, 2022 <div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">In modern compression ignition engines, the dense liquid fuel is directly injected into high pressure and temperature atmosphere, so the spray transitions from subcritical to supercritical conditions. To gain better control of the spray-combustion heat release process, it is important to have a physically accurate description of the spray development process. This work explored the effect of real-fluid thermodynamics in the computational prediction of multiphase flow for two non-ideal situations: the cryogenic nitrogen and non-cryogenic n-dodecane and ammonia sprays. Three real-fluid equations of state (EoS) such as the Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK), Peng-Robinson (PR), and Redlich-Kwong-Peng-Robinson (RKPR) coupled with the real-fluid Chung transport model were implemented in OpenFoam to predict the real-fluid thermodynamic properties. Validations against the CoolProp database were conducted. The RKPR EoS demonstrated an overall better predictive performance compared to the SRK and PR EoS. Due to miscalculations of the thermodynamic properties under supercritical conditions, the cases using the ideal-gas EoS predicted the significantly distinct spray features from the cases using real-fluid EoS. For the cryogenic nitrogen spray simulations, cases using various real-fluid EoS yielded similar spray features because of the low injection rate and thus the weak ambient entrainment process. The reduction of ambient pressure promoted the turbulent mixing process for the n-dodecane spray due to the smaller ambient density and resistance. Compared to ammonia, n-dodecane had higher density and viscosity under supercritical conditions, which led to its higher jet velocity and more concentrated spray feature.</div></div>
Investigation of the Engine Combustion Network Spray a Characteristics using Eulerian and Lagrangian Models Xinlei Liu, Moaz Allehaibi, Hong G. Im SAE Technical Papers, 2022 <div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">This work presents a numerical study of the Spray A (n-dodecane) characteristics using Eulerian and Lagrangian models in a finite-volume framework. The standard k-ε turbulence model was applied for the spray simulations. For Eulerian simulations, the X-ray measured injector geometries from the Engine Combustion Network (ECN) were employed. The High-Resolution Interface Capturing (HRIC) scheme coupled with a cavitation model was utilized to track the fluid-gas interface. Simulations under both the cool and hot ambient conditions were performed. The effects of various grid sizes, turbulence constants, nozzle geometries, and initial gas volume within the injector sac on the modeling results were evaluated. As indicated by the Eulerian simulation results, no cavitation was observed for the Spray A injector; a minimum mesh size of 15.6 μm could achieve a reasonably convergent criterion; the nominal nozzle geometry predicted similar results to the X-ray measured nozzle geometry. For both the Eulerian and Lagrangian simulations, the higher C<sub>ε1</sub> value of the turbulence model resulted in the lower turbulent kinetic energy, longer jet penetration, and spray cone angle. Since the Eulerian-Lagrangian coupled method has the advantage over spray distribution at the nozzle exit, it predicted a significantly better near-nozzle mixture distribution compared to the conventional Lagrangian model at a non-vaporizing condition. By employing an initial gas volume fraction of 30% within the injector sac as recommended by the Engine Combustion Network committee, the Eulerian-Lagrangian coupled method could well reproduce the experimental rate of injection profile, fuel mixture distributions, and spray penetrations at a vaporizing condition. Furthermore, the higher injection pressure promoted the vapor penetration, but it had limited effects on the liquid penetration owing to the competitive relationship between the higher spray momentum and evaporation rate. The higher ambient temperature reduced the liquid penetration for the higher evaporation rate, but it had limited effects on the vapor penetration since the spray momentum and ambient density were kept unchanged.</div></div>
Investigation of the Engine Combustion Network Spray C Characteristics at High Temperature and High-Pressure Conditions Using Eulerian Model Moaz Allehaibi, Xinlei Liu, Hammam Aljabri, Moez Ben Houidi, Balaji Mohan, Hong Im SAE Technical Papers, 2021 <div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The morphology of the internal flow of Spray C was numerically investigated using an Eulerian volume-of-fluid (VOF) method in the finite-volume framework. The injector geometry available in the Engine Combustion Network (ECN) was employed, and the simulations were performed under the ambient condition at 900 K and 60 bar. The simulation data were analyzed for three important events: the initial nozzle opening, steady injection, and nozzle closing. First, projected densities on XY and XZ planes are computed radially at four axial locations. Projected density at 2 mm is compared with available experimental results, which show similar results. Then, the mass flow rate is found to match the reported experimental results and the virtually generated values from CMT using an appropriate discharge coefficient. An investigation on the appropriate discharge coefficient is performed and found that <i>C<sub>d</sub></i> = 0.63 ± 0.02 is acceptable for Spray C. A grid-convergent study revealed that the predicted cavitation formation process was significantly affected by various grid sizes. Based on this study, a minimum mesh size of 7.8 μm was needed to reproduce the experimental observation properly. The predicted flow characteristics at the sharper edge at 0° and the smooth edge at 180° degrees showed comparable trends to the experimental data at the same injection pressure but different ambient pressure.</div></div>
Computational Investigation of the Effects of Injection Strategy and Rail Pressure on Isobaric Combustion in an Optical Compression Ignition Engine Hammam Aljabri, Xinlei Liu, Moaz Allehaibi, Abdullah S. AlRamadan, Jihad Badra, Moez Ben Houidi, Bengt Johansson, Hong G. Im SAE Technical Papers, 2021 <div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The high-pressure isobaric combustion has been proposed as the most suitable combustion mode for the double compre4ssion expansion engine (DCEE) concept. Previous experimental and simulation studies have demonstrated an improved efficiency compared to the conventional diesel combustion (CDC) engine. In the current study, isobaric combustion was achieved using a single injector with multiple injections. Since this concept involves complex phenomena such as spray to spray interactions, the computational models were extensively validated against the optical engine experiment data, to ensure high-fidelity simulations. The considered optical diagnostic techniques are Mie-scattering, fuel tracer planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), and natural flame luminosity imaging. Overall, a good agreement between the numerical and experimental results was obtained. Upon validation, the optimized models have been used to conduct a comparative study between the conventional diesel combustion (CDC) and the isobaric combustion cases with different pressure levels, in terms of engine performance and emissions. Compared to the CDC case, the isobaric combustion cases led to a lower NO<sub>x</sub> emission but higher sooting tendency due to the increased diffusion combustion feature, although most of the soot was oxidized in the later engine cycle. To further reduce soot emission, the effects of various rail pressures and injector holes number were evaluated. The results indicated that the higher injection pressure was more effective in soot reduction for the isobaric combustion case but it deteriorated the thermal efficiency. It was also found that increasing the number of injector holes from the reference six to ten led to the lowest soot emission without significantly affecting the efficiency.</div></div>
Heat transfer and flow characteristics of double tube latent heat storage system with corrugated tubes A Aljabr, H Alzaben, SA Marzouk, MR Gomaa, M Al-lehaibi, S Alshammari International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow 120, 110436 , 2026 2026
Data-Driven Machine learning prediction of Nusselt number in Fin-Enhanced natural convection within square cavities SA Bawazeer, A Alhamayani, M Al-lehaibi, MS Alsoufi Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 104702 , 2026 2026
Volume of fluid analysis using large eddy simulation on standard engine combustion network injectors M Al-Lehaibi, A Alhamayani, B Menacer, V Tuninetti, S Narayan Thermal Science, 46-46 , 2026 2026
Hybrid Al2O3-MWCNT nano-coatings for advanced solar thermal systems: enhancing energy conversion and sustainability S Dhivya, J Giri, R Ghodhbani, M Al-lehaibi, AO Hourani, LS Daniel, ... Energy Conversion and Management: X, 101452 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
MHD Mixed Convective Flow of Walters' B Viscoelastic Fluid via a Nonlinearly Stretchable Surface through a Porous Medium K Guedri, S Shafie, I Ullah, W Jamshed, SM Hussain, MR Eid, ... Results in Engineering, 107925 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Numerical Evaluation of Parabolic-Trough Solar Collector Performance Enhancement Using Hybrid Nanofluids and Fuzzy Logic-Neural Network Integration M Al-lehaibi, A Alhamayani Journal of Nanofluids 14 (5), 751-765 , 2025 2025
Heatline analysis of magnetic lid-driven radiated nanofluids flow via trapezoidal cavity in porous media K Guedri, SM Hussain, H Ahmad, A Abd-Elmonem, M Al-lehaibi, ... Journal of Radiation Research and Applied Sciences 18 (3), 101805 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Numerical approach to enhance solidification by incorporating hybrid nanoparticles and employing porous foam MA Tashkandi, A Basem, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, M Al-lehaibi, LB Said, ... Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 73, 106489 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Performance enhancement of heat pipe-based solar tube collectors using graphene nanofluids: Experimental analysis and thermal optimization T Sathish, J Giri, M Al-lehaibi, AO Hourani, A Anderson Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 73, 106460 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Battery thermal management of Lithium-ion cells in hot regions using PCM and copper foam: A CFD simulation and Thermo-Techno-Economic assessment M Al-lehaibi, FA Hassan, F Alshammari, O Al-Khatib, I Mahariq Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 106897 , 2025 2025 Citations: 4
Enhanced transport in non-newtonian nano-level fluid flow over a rotating disk under radiation and soret–Dufour effects: a numerical insight A Khan, B Shankar, SU Devi, W Sikandar, K Guedri, BM Fadhl, ... Results in Engineering, 106600 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Potential Waste‐to‐Wealth Strategy for Combining Medical Surgical Gloves‐Derived Pyrolysis Oil with Pentanol and Nanoparticles: Experimental Analysis on Engine Behaviors T Sathish, Ü Ağbulut, J Giri, M Al‐lehaibi, AO Hourani, AT Hoang Global Challenges 9 (8), e00031 , 2025 2025 Citations: 1
Enhancing solar panel efficiency using magnetic forces and a thermoelectric module AA Hassaballa, A Basem, AM Abed, M Al-lehaibi, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, ... Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 72, 106293 , 2025 2025 Citations: 6
Global Research Trends in Biomimetic Lattice Structures for Energy Absorption and Deformation: A Bibliometric Analysis (2020–2025) S Narayan, B Menacer, MU Kaisan, J Samuel, M Al-Lehaibi, FO Mahroogi, ... Biomimetics 10 (7), 477 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Efficiency enhancement of photovoltaic panels via air, water, and porous media cooling methods: thermal–electrical modeling B Menacer, NEH Baghdous, S Narayan, M Al-lehaibi, L Osorio, ... Sustainability 17 (14), 6559 , 2025 2025 Citations: 13
Assessment of combustion models in hydrogen engine simulations using optical measurements H Aljabri, R Menaca, N Panthi, K Moreno-Cabezas, F Almatrafi, X Liu, ... Fuel 392, 134871 , 2025 2025 Citations: 16
Biomimetic lattice structures design and manufacturing for high stress, deformation, and energy absorption performance V Tuninetti, S Narayan, I Ríos, B Menacer, R Valle, M Al-Lehaibi, ... Biomimetics 10 (7), 458 , 2025 2025 Citations: 41
Catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste for hydrogen and carbon nanoparticle production: A pathway to sustainable biofuels and circular economy T Sathish, J Giri, R Ghodhbani, M Al-lehaibi, AO Hourani, AK Shopati, ... Energy Conversion and Management: X 27, 101048 , 2025 2025 Citations: 21
Impact of confined nanofluid jets on the performance of solar Photovoltaic-thermal systems with dust deposition MS Aldien, A Basem, AM Abed, M Al-lehaibi, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, ... Results in Engineering 26, 105306 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Performance evaluation of a cold storage system using pure conduction simulation with nanomaterial integration MS Aldien, A Basem, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, A Almarashi, M Al-lehaibi, ... Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 70, 106113 , 2025 2025 Citations: 9
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Flame structure and laminar burning speed of gas to liquid fuel air mixtures at moderate pressures and high temperatures Z Wang, M Alswat, G Yu, MO Allehaibi, H Metghalchi Fuel 209, 529-537 , 2017 2017 Citations: 53
Biomimetic lattice structures design and manufacturing for high stress, deformation, and energy absorption performance V Tuninetti, S Narayan, I Ríos, B Menacer, R Valle, M Al-Lehaibi, ... Biomimetics 10 (7), 458 , 2025 2025 Citations: 41
Comparative study of spark-ignited and pre-chamber hydrogen-fueled engine: a computational approach H Aljabri, M Silva, MB Houidi, X Liu, M Allehaibi, F Almatrafi, ... Energies 15 (23), 8951 , 2022 2022 Citations: 38
Fuel flexibility potential for isobaric combustion in a compression ignition engine: A computational study H Aljabri, X Liu, M Al-lehaibi, KM Cabezas, AS AlRamadan, J Badra, ... Fuel 316, 123281 , 2022 2022 Citations: 30
Ignition delay time measurements of diesel and gasoline blends M Alabbad, Y Li, K AlJohani, G Kenny, K Hakimov, M Al-lehaibi, ... Combustion and Flame 222, 460-475 , 2020 2020 Citations: 28
The effect of adding hybrid nanoparticles (Al2O3–TiO2) on the performance of parabolic trough solar collectors using different thermal oils and molten salts A Alhamayani, M Al-lehaibi Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 59, 104593 , 2024 2024 Citations: 23
Catalytic pyrolysis of plastic waste for hydrogen and carbon nanoparticle production: A pathway to sustainable biofuels and circular economy T Sathish, J Giri, R Ghodhbani, M Al-lehaibi, AO Hourani, AK Shopati, ... Energy Conversion and Management: X 27, 101048 , 2025 2025 Citations: 21
A comprehensive combustion chemistry study of n-propylcyclohexane A Ahmed, JA Corrubia, M Al-Lehaibi, F Farid, H Wang, Z Wang, B Chen, ... Combustion and flame 233, 111576 , 2021 2021 Citations: 21
Numerical investigation of the effect of injection strategy on a high-pressure isobaric combustion engine X Liu, H Aljabri, M Al-lehaibi, AS AlRamadan, J Badra, HG Im International Journal of Engine Research 24 (2), 595-609 , 2023 2023 Citations: 18
Assessment of combustion models in hydrogen engine simulations using optical measurements H Aljabri, R Menaca, N Panthi, K Moreno-Cabezas, F Almatrafi, X Liu, ... Fuel 392, 134871 , 2025 2025 Citations: 16
Efficiency enhancement of photovoltaic panels via air, water, and porous media cooling methods: thermal–electrical modeling B Menacer, NEH Baghdous, S Narayan, M Al-lehaibi, L Osorio, ... Sustainability 17 (14), 6559 , 2025 2025 Citations: 13
Enhanced cold storage performance through nano-powder integration in water: a numerical simulation study B Ayadi, A Basem, ZJ Talabany, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, M Al-lehaibi, ... Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 68, 105893 , 2025 2025 Citations: 12
Enhancement of Hydrogen Production Using an Integrated Evacuated Tube Solar Collector and PEM Electrolyzer With Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 Hybrid Nanofluids T Sathish, R Saravanan, SJ Arunachalam, J Giri, M Al‐lehaibi, ... Engineering Reports 7 (2), e13103 , 2025 2025 Citations: 12
Numerical investigation of n-dodecane ECN spray and combustion characteristics using the one-way coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian approach M Al-lehaibi, X Liu, HG Im Fuel 331, 125759 , 2023 2023 Citations: 11
Performance evaluation of a cold storage system using pure conduction simulation with nanomaterial integration MS Aldien, A Basem, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, A Almarashi, M Al-lehaibi, ... Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 70, 106113 , 2025 2025 Citations: 9
Performance enhancement of heat pipe-based solar tube collectors using graphene nanofluids: Experimental analysis and thermal optimization T Sathish, J Giri, M Al-lehaibi, AO Hourani, A Anderson Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 73, 106460 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Global Research Trends in Biomimetic Lattice Structures for Energy Absorption and Deformation: A Bibliometric Analysis (2020–2025) S Narayan, B Menacer, MU Kaisan, J Samuel, M Al-Lehaibi, FO Mahroogi, ... Biomimetics 10 (7), 477 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Impact of confined nanofluid jets on the performance of solar Photovoltaic-thermal systems with dust deposition MS Aldien, A Basem, AM Abed, M Al-lehaibi, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, ... Results in Engineering 26, 105306 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
Numerical modeling for enhanced cold storage rates through nanoparticle integration within finned tank BR Sadeq, A Basem, AM Abed, M Al-lehaibi, HAZ AL-bonsrulah, ... Results in Engineering 25, 104129 , 2025 2025 Citations: 8
MWCNT/SiO 2 Hybrid Nano‐PCM for Ultrafast Solar Cookers: An Experimental Study T Sathish, J Giri, R Saravanan, Z Said, M Al‐lehaibi Engineering Reports 7 (1), e13102 , 2025 2025 Citations: 7
