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Prasad Pokkunuri

Quick facts

Dr. Prasad Pokkunuri is an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at École Centrale School of Engineering, Mahindra University, with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Riverside, and a B.Tech (Hons.) from IIT Kharagpur. He brings a strong blend of academic and industrial R&D experience through roles at IITRAM, ABB India Corporate Research, SunBorne Energy Technologies, and Maruti Udyog, complemented by postdoctoral work at the University of California, Irvine. His research spans thermal‑fluid sciences, NOx reduction in hydrogen combustion, atmospheric reaction kinetics, solar particle receivers, thermal energy storage, and low‑GWP air‑conditioning systems, with a strong emphasis on student‑led research

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Prasad Pokkunuri

Associate Professor

Dr. Prasad Pokkunuri is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at École Centrale School of Engineering, Mahindra University. He has a unique blend of industrial and academic research, and teaching experience, covering a wide range of domains.

  • University of California, Riverside: Ph.D, Mechanical Engineering
  • Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur: B.Tech (Hons.), Mechanical Engineering

  • Prasad P., Raghavesh V., Sebastian U., and Utkarsh S. “Method and system for heat transfer enhancement in solar particle receivers”. Patent Application 202141058153. Filed December 2021.
  • Sadineni S., Kotikalapudi R., Madilla S. S. P., and Pokkunuri P., “Numerical Solution of Laminar Flow over Symmetric NACA Airfoils”. Journal of Fluid Flow, Heat and Mass Transfer (JFFHMT), 8 (2021). DOI: 10.11159/jffhmt.2021.016
  • Noble H., Kulkarni S., Sunil K., and Pokkunuri P., “Drag Reduction Properties of Sharkskin Riblets”. Accepted to 5th International Conference on Experimental and Numerical Flow and Heat Transfer (ENFHT 20). Presented ‘virtually’ during 14 – 16 October, 2020.
  • Kunati N. R., Madisetty A. D., and Pokkunuri P., “Sustainability Ranking of Solar Power Projects using Multi-Criteria Decision Methods (MCDM)”, ISES SWC2019/ SHC2019 Conference Proceedings (2019). DOI:10.18086/swc.2019.28.02
    • Phani Keerthan K. S., and Prasad P., “Performance Analysis of Al2O3 Packed-Bed Energy Storage”. Presented at International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Nanomaterials for Sustainable Development (ACeND 2018), Bengaluru, September 2018.
    • Sri Harsha M. S., Nikhil K., and Prasad P., “External Flows Around Simplified Automobiles”. Presented during First Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS 2018) at Mahindra École Centrale, Hyderabad, August 2018.
    • Sai Rohan Gowtham K., and Prasad P., “Sensitivity of Non-Newtonian Fluid Flow Simulation in OpenFOAM to the Underlying Viscoelastic Models”. Presented during First Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium (URS 2018) at Mahindra École Centrale, Hyderabad, August 2018.
    • Prasad P., “Simplified modelling of viscoelastic fluids for use in recoil damping systems”. Presented at 19th International Conference on Advances in Fluid Mechanics, Tokyo, Japan, March 2017.
    • Dave H., and Prasad P., “CFD study of aerodynamic drag reduction using deflectors on an Ahmed body”. Presented at Computational Science Symposium, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, March 2017.
  • Prasad P., “Impulse response of the viscous Burgers equation with a magneto-rheological viscosity”. Presented at Latest Advances in Computational and Applied Mathematics, Mahindra École Centrale, Hyderabad, India, December 2016.
  • Goel N., Romero M., Prasad P., Steinfeld A., Goswami D. Y., and Stefanakos E., “Absorber for concentrated solar power system”, WIPO Patent WO/2013/021397, 2013.
  • Prasad P., Nissenson P., and Dabdub D., “Impact of the Knudsen number and mass transfer expression on multi-phase kinetic modelling”, Atmospheric Environment, 44:153—163, 2010.
  • Prasad P., Nissenson P., Finlayson-Pitts B., and Dabdub D., “Importance of interface reactions with varying particle size”. Presented at AirUCI’s 5th Annual Workshop, Laguna Beach, California, USA, January 2009.
  • Nissenson P., Prasad P., Jimenez-Aranda A., and Dabdub D., “Modelling mass transfer and interfacial reactions of chemical species at aerosol surfaces”. Presented at AirUCI’s 4th Annual Workshop, Newport Beach, California, USA, January 2008.
  • Prasad P. and Mahalingam S., “Exhaust gas recirculation effects on hydrogen-air combustion”, Combustion Science and Technology, 179(6):1131—1157, 2007.
  • Prasad P., Zhou X. Y., and Mahalingam S., “Large eddy simulation of turbulent reacting mixing layers”. Presented as Paper #05F-69 at the Fall Meeting of Western States Section of the Combustion Institute, Stanford University, California, USA, September 2005.
  • Prasad P., Zhou X. Y., and Mahalingam S., “Large eddy simulation of a turbulent hydrogen jet flame using the filtered density function approach”. Presented at the Tenth International Conference on Numerical Combustion of the the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Sedona, Arizona, USA, March 2004.
  • Prasad P. and Mahalingam S., “An examination of time-scale effects on the combustion of hydrogen in air”. Presented as Paper #03F-46 at the Fall Meeting of Western States Section of the Combustion Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA, September 2003.

    • July 2017 – Present, Associate Professor, Ecole School of Engineering, Mahindra University

    Academic Experience

    • Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Institute of Infrastructure, Technology, Research, and Management
    • Visiting Faculty at Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies

    Industry Experience

    • Scientist in ABB India Corporate Research Centre, Bangalore
    • Lead R&D Engineer at SunBorne Energy Technologies, Gurgaon
    • Assistant Manager at Maruti Udyog Limited, Gurgaon

    Doctoral and Postdoctoral Experience

    • Postdoctoral Researcher at University of California, Irvine
    • Graduate Student Researcher at University of California, Riverside
    • Teaching Assistant at University of California, Riverside

    Dr. Prasad has been involved in basic and applied research, in the broad areas of thermal-fluid sciences. His work covers a wide range of domains related to energy and environment, from investigating conditions for (NOx) emissions reduction in hydrogen combustion to studying the effects of interfacial reactions in releasing ozone destroying species (Cl2 and Br2) into the atmosphere from sea-salt particles, as well as designing solar receivers that absorb concentrated solar radiation enroute its conversion to electricity, and developing thermal energy storage to produce power from the sun when it isn’t shining. Dr. Prasad is a firm proponent of student led research, with classroom teaching laying the foundation for asking fundamental questions that develop into interesting research projects.

    Dr. Prasad’s present focus is on enhancing heat transfer in solar particle receivers (basic/applied research) and in developing novel, low GWP (Global Warming Potential) air-conditioning systems (applied research – industry collaboration).

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