Dr Ibrahim Abdalla

Job: Senior Lecturer

Faculty: Technology

School/department: School of Engineering and Sustainable Development

Research group(s): Centre for Engineering, Science and Advance Systems

Address: De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH

T: +44 (0)116 207 8484

E: iabdalla@dmu.ac.uk

W: www.dmu.ac.uk

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Personal profile

Dr. Abdalla obtained his first degree in Mechanical Engineering at Khartoum University, Sudan where he graduates at the top of his batch with 2.1 BSc degree. Sponsored by the German Academic exchange serve, Dr. Abdalla completed his MSc degree in the field of Thermo-fluids at Nairobi University, Kenya, where he graduated with distinction. After a couple of years working both in academia and as a mechanical engineer in the industrial sector in Dubai, Dr. Abdalla was offered a scholarship to do his PhD studies at the Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering Department at Loughborough University, where he obtained his Ph.D in 2003. His field of studies in the PhD is turbulence modelling using the large-eddy simulation (LES) method.

Immediately after graduation, he joined a research centre at Queens University Belfast as a research visitor before taking the post of a research fellow at the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development at De Montfort University in 2004. In 2007 he joined the Department of Engineering as a senior lecturer.

Research group affiliations

Centre for Engineering Science and Advanced Systems (CESAS)

Publications and outputs

Coherent structures and flow topology of transitional separated-reattached flow over
Coherent structures and flow topology of transitional separated-reattached flow over Diabil, H. A.; Abdalla, I. E.; Li, X. K. Large-scale organized motions (commonly referred to coherent structures) and flow topology of a transitional separated-reattached flow have been visualised and investigated using flow visualisation techniques. Two geometrical shapes including two-dimensional flat plate with rectangular leading edge and three-dimensional square cylinder are chosen to shed a light on the flow topology and present coherent structures of the flow over these shapes. For both geometries and in the early stage of the transition, two-dimensional Kelvin-Helmholtz rolls are formed downstream of the leading edge. They are observed to be twisting around the square cylinder while they stay flat in the case of the two-dimensional flat plate. For both geometrical shapes, the two-dimensional Kelvin-Helmholtz rolls move downstream of the leading edge and they are subjected to distortion to form three-dimensional hairpin structures. The flow topology in the flat plate is different from that in the square cylinder. For the flat plate, there is a merging process by a pairing of the Kelvin-Helmholtz rolls to form a large structure that breaks down directly into many hairpin structures. For the squire cylinder case, the Kelvin-Helmholtz roll evolves topologically to form a hairpin structure. In the squire cylinder case, the reattachment length is much shorter and a forming of the three-dimensional structures is closer to the leading edge than that in the flat plate case.
Simplified method for the collection, storage and Comet assay analysis of DNA damage in whole blood.
Simplified method for the collection, storage and Comet assay analysis of DNA damage in whole blood. Al-Salmani, K. K.; Abbas, H. H.; Schulpen, S.; Karbaschi, M.; Abdalla, I. E.; Bowman, K. J.; So, K. K.; Evans, M. D.; Jones, G. D.; Godschalk, R. W.; Cooke, M. S.
Theoretical and experimental analysis of ultrasonic cross correlation flow measurement technology.
Theoretical and experimental analysis of ultrasonic cross correlation flow measurement technology. Gurevich, A.; Selvaratnarajah, S.; Abdalla, I. E.
Numerical study of thermal plume characteristics and entrainment in an enclosure with a point heat source.
Numerical study of thermal plume characteristics and entrainment in an enclosure with a point heat source. Abdalla, I. E.; Cook, M. J.; Hunt, G. R.
Effects of free-stream turbulence on a transitional separated-reattached flow over a flat plate with a sharp leading edge.
Effects of free-stream turbulence on a transitional separated-reattached flow over a flat plate with a sharp leading edge. Yang, Z.; Abdalla, I. E.
Computational analysis and flow structure of a transitional separated-reattached flow over a surface mounted obstacle and a forward-facing step.
Computational analysis and flow structure of a transitional separated-reattached flow over a surface mounted obstacle and a forward-facing step. Yang, Z.; Cook, M. J.; Abdalla, I. E.
On coherent structures in a separated/reattached flow
On coherent structures in a separated/reattached flow Yang, Z.; Abdalla, I. E. It is well known that large-scale organised motions, usually called coherent structures, exist in many transitional and turbulent flows. The topology and range of scales of coherent structures change widely in different flows. However, it is not well established what kind of large-scale coherent structures exists in separated/reattached transitional flows. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with a dynamic subgrid-scale model is employed to investigate a separated boundary layer transition under 2% free stream turbulence level and without free stream turbulence on a flat plate with a blunt leading edge. Flow visualization is employed to show the entire transition process leading to breakdown to turbulence and large-scale coherent structures have been identified at various stages of the transition process. However, there are some noticeable difference between the flow case with and without free stream turbulence. The Kelvin-Helmholtz rolls, which are clearly visible under no free stream turbulence (NFST), are not so clearly visible under 2% free steam turbulence (FST) case. The Lambda-shaped vortical structures which can be clearly seen in the NFST case can hardly be identified in the FST case. Generally speaking, the effects of free-stream turbulence have led to an early breakdown of the separated boundary layer and hence increased the randomisation in the vortical structures, degraded the spanwise coherence of those large-scale structures.
Large-eddy simulation of buoyancy-driven natural ventilation in an enclosure with a point heat source.
Large-eddy simulation of buoyancy-driven natural ventilation in an enclosure with a point heat source. Cook, M. J.; Abdalla, I. E.; Rees, S. J.; Yang, Z. As Output 1 above, this paper is part of Cook’s CFD benchmarking research. To the author's knowledge, this is the first publication in which the large eddy simulation technique (LES) has been validated for modelling buoyant plumes in naturally ventilated enclosures. The work provided training for Abdalla in this class of airflows. Abdalla was lead author, supervised by Cook. Rees assisted with the mathematical modelling.
Numerical study of transitional separated-reattached flow over surface-mounted obstacles using large-eddy simulation
Numerical study of transitional separated-reattached flow over surface-mounted obstacles using large-eddy simulation Abdalla, I. E.; Cook, M. J.; Yang, Z. This paper is the first output resulting from the IESD broadening out into the area of large-eddy simulation (LES) to study flows around buildings and the impact of wind on natural ventilation. Future work will capitalise on the SRIF-funded Linux cluster. Abdalla undertook the simulations and co-wrote the paper with Cook his line-manager. Yang, Loughborough University, was responsible for the original LES code used in the work.
Numerical study of a separated - reattached flow on a blunt plate
Numerical study of a separated - reattached flow on a blunt plate Abdalla, I. E.; Yang, Z. The findings of this paper were initially challenged by researchers in the field. However, the work has subsequently been proved correct by others (Castro IP, The stability of laminar symmetric separated wakes. J Fluid Mechanics 532:389-411, 2005). Based on the preliminary results for this paper, an international travel grant was awarded to Abdalla by the Royal Academy of Engineering to present this work at the International CMEM (Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements) Conference in 2003. Abdalla is the lead author and was supervised at Loughborough University by Yang.

Click here to view a full listing of Ibrahim Abdalla's publications and outputs

Research interests/expertise

Biofuels: establishing the thermophysicochemical properties, energy from their combustion and rates of emissions on different platforms.
Developing advanced reaction mechanis for modelling the combustion of conventional and Biofuels based on Large-eddy simulation (LES) and Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) approach (transitional/turbulent multi-phase reactive flows).
Large-Eddy Simulations (LES) of transitional and turbulent flows. Aerodynamic of bluff bodies, flow stability and transition.
LES/RANS of Two-phase spray combustion.
LES of environmental and the built environment flows.
Emissions from Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) and related combustion systems.
The use of alternative fuels, blends & emulsions as fuels for ICEs.
General interests in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and numerical methods.
Development of Parallel Codes based on the Message Passing Interface (MPI) and running such codes on shared and distributed memory supercomputers.
Thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer.
Engineering Graphics.

Areas of teaching

Thermofluids (fluids, heat and mass transfer), Computational fluid mechanics, Energy and Combustion, Conventional and BioFuels, Environmental fluid mechanics.

Qualifications

8/8/2000 - 19/1/2004: Ph.D., Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Loughborough
University, Loughborough - U.K. Thesis title: Numerical Studies of Separated
Boundary Layer Transition on a Flat Plate with a Blunt Leading Edge.

1994-1996: M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Nairobi University, Nairobi - Kenya.
Thesis title: Numerical computations of heat and mass diffusion at various temperature
gradients in a flow field”

1986 - 1991: B.Sc. (2nd upper) Mechanical Engineering, Khartoum University, Khartoum - Sudan. Final year project Title: utilisation of biomass as a primary fuel for CIEs.

15/09/2010 Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education. In progress, expected completion date 10/05/2011.

Courses taught

BEng

Engineering science 1 (ENGD1005)
Thermofluids (ENGD2005)
Thermal plant and sustainability (ENGD3036)
Engineering mathematics (ENGD1001)

MSc taught course

Advanced thermodynamics and heat transfer ENGT5141

Honours and awards

Khartoum University prize for best performance in fourth year Mechanical Engineering.
Lite Sarkis Izmerlian (Sudan Steel Industries) Prize for best fourth year student in Mechanical Engineering - Khartoum University
National Electricity Corporation - Sudan Prize for best final year student results in the department of Mechanical Engineering - Khartoum University.
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship for M.Sc. in Nairobi University - Mechanical Engineering.
Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering - Loughborough University scholarship for Ph.D.

Membership of external committees

Member of the international scientific advisory committee, reviewer and invited speaker for the Fourteenth International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements (CMEM 2009, 2011).
Member: The International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal hydraulics (NURETH). NURETH webpage: http://nureth14.org/.

Membership of professional associations and societies

ASME (2000)

IMECHE (Under Process)

Forthcoming events

The international scientific advisory committee, reviewer and invited speaker for the Fourteenth International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements (CMEM2013).

Conference attendance

Fourteenth International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements (CMEM 2009), 10 - 12 July, 2009, Algarve, Portugal.

Roomvent 2007 conference proceeding, paper 1009. 13-15 June 2007 Helsinki, Finland.

Thirteenth International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements (CMEM 2007), 2 - 4 July, 2007 Prague, Czech Republic.

Eleventh International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements, (CMEM 2003). Halkidiki, Greece.

“Seventh Triennial International Symposium on Fluid Control, Measurement and Visualisation”, Sorrento, Italy, August 25-28, 2003.

International Arab Conference on Information Technology, December 16th - 19th, 2002, Doha - Qatar.

Astronomy and Astrophysics in Ireland conference, April 1 − 4, 2004, Armagh, Northern Ireland.

2nd European and African Conference onWind Engineering. Genova, Italy, June 22 - 26, 1997, Vol. 1, PP. 467 - 474

Consultancy work

Judson college project, 2007. The IESD.

Current research students

Names of research students currently supervised:

PhD - Ayadh AlAjami
Mode, supervisory role (1st supervisor)

PhD - Alexander Gurevich
Mode, supervisory role (2st supervisor)

PhD - Abdullah AlAjami
Mode, supervisory role (2st supervisor)

Externally funded research grants information

Project title: ‘Numerical and Experimental Studies of the Combustion of Biofuels on Different Platform’

Funding agency: EMDA

Type of project: Research

Start date: October 2009

End date: June, 2010

Role in project: Principal investigator

Collaborators: Loughborough University

Professional esteem indicators

Editor: The International Journal of Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements (CMEM).
Editor: Journal of Information Technology & Software Engineering.
Reviewer: international journal of heat and mass transfer.
Reviewer: United Kingdom ‘Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)’.
Reviewer: Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part C, Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science.
Reviewer: The Open Numerical Methods Journal.
Reviewer: Environmental Engineering Science Journal.
Member of the international scientific advisory committee, reviewer and invited speaker for the Fourteenth International Conference on Computational Methods and Experimental Measurements (CMEM 2009, 2011).
Reviewer: The International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Reactor Thermal hydraulics (NURETH). NURETH webpage: http://nureth14.org/.