Alen Horvat

EDUCATION
Food processing | University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2009.
PhD in Biomass-to-Biofuel | University of Limerick, Ireland, 2016.

RESEARCH INTEREST
• Water science
• Renewable energy
• Waste treatment
• Biofuels of 4th generation
• Production of biodegradable plastic
• Food science

PREVIOUS RESEARCH EXPERIENCE & RESEARCH STAYS
Postdoctoral research:
1. University Carlos III, Madrid, Feb. 2017 to Jun. 2017.
2. University of Limerick, Ireland, Oct. 2017 to Jun. 2018.

Study visit/experimental campaign:
1. Ho Chi Minh City International University (VNUHCM-IU), Vietnam, Jun. 2020.
2. National University of Colombia (UNAL), Bogota, Jun. 2019.
3. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) together with Institute of Energy Futures – Brunel University London, Feb. 2018.
4. Stiftelsen for Industriell og Teknisk Forskning (SINTEF) Trondheim, Norway, Nov. 2018.
5. University Carlos III of Madrid, Spain, Apr. to Sept. 2016.
6. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), May 2015.
7. KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden, Sept. 2014.
8. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), Apr. 2014.
9. Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), Apr. 2013.

TEACHING ACTIVITY
Analytical Chemistry, University of Limerick; Ireland
Thermal Engineering. University Carlos III, Madrid
Energy & Water, University Carlos III, Madrid

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Horvat, A., Kwapinska, M., & Leahy, J. J. (2019). Tar from pilot scale co-pyrolysis of biological dairy sludge and spruce wood chips. Energy Procedia, 161, 66-74. DOI:10.1016/j.egypro.2019.02.059

Horvat, A., Pandey, D. S., Kwapinska, M., Mello, B. B., Gómez-Barea, A., Fryda, L. E., … & Leahy, J. J. (2019). Tar yield and composition from poultry litter gasification in a fluidised bed reactor: effects of equivalence ratio, temperature and limestone addition. RSC Advances, 9(23), 13283-13296. DOI:10.1039/C9RA02548K

Horvat, A., Kwapinska, M., Xue, G., Dooley, S., Kwapinski, W., & Leahy, J. J. (2016). Detailed Measurement Uncertainty Analysis of Solid-Phase Adsorption Total Gas Chromatography (GC)-Detectable Tar from Biomass Gasification. Energy & Fuels, 30(3), 2187-2197. DOI:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b02579

Horvat, A., Kwapinska, M., Xue, G., Rabou, L. P., Pandey, D. S., Kwapinski, W., & Leahy, J. J. (2016). Tars from fluidized bed gasification of raw and torrefied Miscanthus x giganteus. Energy & Fuels, 30(7), 5693-5704. DOI:10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00532

CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS

8th International Conference on Engineering for Waste and Biomass Valorisation, 2020, Guelph, Canada Oral presentation entitled as: Liquid By-product from Hydrothermal Carbonisation as a Substrate for Microbial Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).

2nd International Conference on Sustainable Energy and Resource Use in Food Chains, 2018, Paphos, Cyprus, Oral presentation entitled as: Tar form Pilot Scale Co-pyrolysis of Solid Dairy Sludge and Spruce Wood Chips.

15th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, 2017, Rhodes, Greece, Oral presentation entitled as: Poultry Litter Gasification in a Fluidized Bed Reactor: Effects of Equivalence Ratio, Temperature and Limestone Addition on Tar Yield and Composition.

24th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition, 2016, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Poster presentation entitled as: Study of Post Sampling Treatment of Solid Phase Adsorption Method on Tar Yields and Comparison of Two Methods for Volatile Tar Compounds.