Experience

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  Wood Pellet Association of Canada

  • Director of Research and Technical Development

    • Apr 2019 - Present

• 

  Spark Biomass Consulting Inc.

  • North Vancouver, BC

  • Founder and CEO

    • Jan 2016 - Present
    • North Vancouver, BC

    Providing engineering consulting services focused on cleantech, biotech, and bioproducts. Working with different industrial partners to assess different technologies, perform economic analysis and evaluate projects in the area of energy, bioresource, biomass and biofuels. Identifying key funding opportunities for clients and helping with proposal preparation and presentation. • Help to develop funding proposals for projects at the pilot to commercialization phase, with the intent of helping these technologies get to market, e.g. government funding programs such as IFIT, CWFC, Clean Growth• Prepare business proposals and presentations; identify issues and form hypotheses and solutions • Conducting financial and market analysis in order to value early stage technology in advance of negotiations• Identify new technologies and assess commercial potential• Present findings and recommendations to clients; analysis/ assessment of technical issues

• 

  The University of British Columbia

  • Canada
  • Higher Education
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Project Manager (BioMass Canada)

    • Apr 2019 - Present

    Mange Activity 12 of BioMass Canada Cluster research to help improve technologies for processing underutilized biomass to be used as a renewable and sustainable starting feedstock for the production of cleaner bioenergy, and other bio-based products.

  • Research Associate

    • Oct 2013 - Mar 2019

    Lead biofuel densification, storage and handling research studies in lab and pilot scale. Oversee and manage multiple collaborative projects. Lead, instruct and supervise technicians and mentor graduate students. • Investigate multiple research projects, design experiments and manage labs• Conduct experimental research and assist in scale-up process development • Liaise with industrial and government stakeholders to identify potential research of mutual interest and form partnership• Identify and establish national and international collaborative projects and help in student exchange • Identify funding sources, oversee accounts and assist in planning budget and managing the funds• Organize international workshops and seminars to update industry stakeholders as well as other national and international partners on the latest research progress in BBRG• Develop grant proposals including NSERC (DG, CRD, Engage) and MITACS and CFI. Identify funding sources and develop research proposals for specific funding programs • Development of ISO standards (e.g. ISO 20048/49) for solid biofuels, prepare reports, technical presentations and papers

  • Research Assistant

    • Jul 2009 - Oct 2013

    Lead research projects, carry out experiments and conduct specific analytical tests• Designed experiments, constructed laboratory and pilot scale processes, modeling and simulation• Organized and participated in meetings to define strategy, goals, and scope of the research project• Assisted with the preparation and dissemination of results, prepared research reports and manuscripts• Collaborated with partners, stakeholders and industry clients to lead, develop and maintain an applied research plan while ensuring program relevance• Acted as the project lead in a number of industrial projects.

  • Research Assistant

    • Sep 2007 - Jun 2009

    Lead research projects, carry out experiments and conduct specific analytical tests• Designed and fabricated a packed bed for airflow modeling through wood pellet bed• Flow in porous media modeling and simulation

• 

  ISO - International Organization for Standardization

  • Switzerland
  • International Trade and Development
  • 700 & Above Employee

  • Project Lead, ISO/TC 238 (Solid Biofuels)

    • Mar 2019 - Present

  • Chair - ISO/TC 300 (Solid Recovered Fuels)

    • Aug 2018 - Apr 2020

    The scope of the ISO standards committee TC 300 in Canada is standardization of solid recovered fuels, from point of acceptance of material to be recovered to point of delivery, prepared from non-hazardous waste to be used for energy purposes.

• 

  Biomass and Bioenergy Research Group

  • Manager

    • Oct 2010 - Nov 2019

    Directing and managing the human resources, accounting and administration functions for the operation of the research group and connecting university research with industrial needs and technological gapsProvide strategic direction for the group and participate in overall planning, development, management, coordination, and communication for a large multiple-project engineering research programOrganize international workshops and seminars to update industry stakeholders as well as other national and international partners on the latest research progress in BBRG

• 

  Timber West Forest Corporation

  • Consultant

    • Jun 2013 - Dec 2013

    Evaluation of Chloride Effects on the Pelletization Process and PelletProperties.

• 

  Pinnacle Renewable Energy

  • Consultant

    • Jan 2013 - Apr 2013

    Determination of emission of off-gases as well as changes in calorific value and possible relationbetween the two during storage. Designed and constructed laboratory scaleexperimental equipment, conducted experiments and analyzed experimental data.

• 

  Wood Pellet Association of Canada

  • Vancouver, Canada Area

  • Consultant

    • Apr 2012 - Oct 2012
    • Vancouver, Canada Area

    Determination of emission and potential for flammability of gases from wood pellets with high moisture content during storage at high temperature.

• 

  Zilkha Biomass Energy LLC

  • Vancouver, Canada Area

  • Consultant

    • Jan 2012 - Mar 2012
    • Vancouver, Canada Area

• 

  Part Green Energy Consultant Engineering

  • Tehran, Iran

  • Process Engineer

    • Jun 2006 - Apr 2007
    • Tehran, Iran

    Coordinated the design, planning and development of processes• Prepared and reviewed project proposals and technical reports• Designed, managed and interpreted pilot plant demonstrations of oil and gas processes.• Coordinated various aspects of the process engineering, including design, planning and development

• 

  EIED

  • Tehran, Iran

  • Process Engineer (Co-op)

    • Jul 2005 - Sep 2005
    • Tehran, Iran

    Provided engineering support to the process and instrumentation team • Assisted in industrial equipment sizing and design, assisted with review of the plants’ P&IDs and PFDs• Assisted in the coordination of projects from conception (feasibility) through final plan preparations