Dr Philip Davies

Associate Dean - Research

Phone number
0121 204 3724

Email
p.a.davies@aston.ac.uk

Room number
Main Building 184 

Profile
I joined the School of Engineering and Applied Science in 2005, having spent 2 years as a Royal Society Industry Fellow at the University of Warwick. Prior to that I held positions as a Senior Consultant at Scientific Generics Ltd (Cambridge), a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Melles Griot Ltd (Ely), and a Project Engineer at Lightworks Ltd (London).

In addition I have held research posts at the Instituto de Energía Solar, of the Universidad Politécnica of Madrid, and at the School of Engineering Science of the University of Oxford.

After graduating from Imperial College in 1984, I completed a graduate apprenticeship at W. H. Allen Ltd, Bedford, where I learnt about manufacturing and design practice in precision mechanical engineering.

Qualifications & Education

• BSc with First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College, London, 1984
• DPhil in Biomedical Engineering,  Oxford, 1989
• Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Aston University, 2007.

 Employment

• 2011 – date: Reader, and Associate Dean for Research, School of Engineering & Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham
• 2005 – 2010: Senior Lecturer in Engineering Design, School of Engineering & Applied Science, Aston University, Birmingham.
• 2003 – 2005: Royal Society Industry Fellow, School of Engineering, University of Warwick.
• 2000 – 2003: Senior Consultant, Scientific Generics Ltd, Cambridge  
  

Teaching activity

ME4504 - Renewable Energy - Module Leader

PD4001 - Research Project (MSc) - Module Leader

PD4005 - Sustainable Design - Module Leader

Research interests
My main research activities are in renewable and efficient energy systems and in their application for water treatment and agriculture. I am particularly interested in small scale systems for deployment in rural areas and developing countries. I belong to the Sustainable Environment Research Group.

Recent research funding

Science Bridges: Bio-energy: technology and business solutions for the UK and India, funded by Research Councils UK (EP/G039992/1) and Department of Science and Technology, Government of India

Enhanced biomass production and energy conversion for use in water-scarce areas of India, funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/E044360/1)

PhD Supervision

Zaraan Engineer: Steam-based solar power for use in India

Opubo Igobo: A high efficiency solar-rankine engine for use in desalination

Jonathan Nixon: Solar thermal collectors for use in hybrid solar-biomass power plants in India

Paul Knowles: Clogging in horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (submitted)

Tianyu Qiu: A novel solar–thermal rankine cycle reverse osmosis desalination system

External responsibilities

External examiner at University of Bristol

Membership of Professional Bodies
Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Chartered Engineer and Eur Ing

Member of the European Desalination Society

Selected publications

G. Lychnos and P. A. Davies: Modelling and experimental verification of a solar-powered liquid desiccant cooling system for greenhouse food production in hot climates, Energy, 40, 116-130 (2012).

A. K. Hossain, R. Thorpe, P. Vasudevan, P. K. Sen, R. E. Critoph and P.A. Davies: Omnigen: Provding electricity, food preparation, cold storage and pure water using a variety of local fuels, Renewable Energy (in press)

J. N. Nixon and P. A. Davies: Cost-exergy optimisation of linear Fresnel reflectors, Solar Energy, 86, 147-156 (2012)

T. Y. Qiu and P. A. Davies: The scope to improve the efficiency of solar-powered reverse osmosis, Desalination and Water Treatment, 35, 14-32 (2011)

P. A. Davies: A solar-powered reverse osmosis system for high recovery of freshwater from saline groundwater, Desalination, 271, 72-79 (2011)

P. A. Davies, R. Srivastava, B. Kaphaliya, A. K. Hossain, O. Ngoye Igobo, and G. Garantziotis: A greenhouse integrating desalination, water saving and rainwater harvesting for use in salt-affected inland regions, Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 70, 628-633 (2011)

J. D. Nixon, P. K. Dey and P. A. Davies: Which is the best solar thermal collection technology for electricity generation in north-west India? Evaluation of options using the analytical hierarchy process, Energy, 35, 5230-5240 (2010)

P. A. Davies and A. K. Hossain: Development of an integrated reverse osmosis-greenhouse system driven by solar photovoltaic generators, Desalination and Water Treatment, 22, 1-13 (2010)

G. Lychnos, J. Fletcher and P. A. Davies: Properties of seawater bitterns with regard to liquid-desiccant cooling, Desalination, 250, 172-178 (2010)

P. R. Knowles, P. Griffin and P. A. Davies: Complementary methods to investigate the development of clogging within a horizontal sub-surface flow tertiary treatment wetland, Water Research, 44, 320-330 (2010)

A. K. Hossain and P. A. Davies: Plant oils as fuels for compression ignition engines: a technical review and life-cycle analysis, Renewable Energy, 35, 1-13 (2010)

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