Staff profile

Dr. Shivaprasad Kumar Vijayalakshmi has been with the Department of Engineering at Durham University since November 2019. Prior to this, he served as a Research Associate at the Sir Joseph Swan Centre for Energy Research, Newcastle University, and held academic positions as an Assistant Professor at Dilla University, Ethiopia (2 years and 4 months), and at Bearys Institute of Technology, Mangalore, India (2 years).  In total, he brings over six years of teaching experience and five years of dedicated research experience.

Shivaprasad’s research interests span engine combustion, energy decarbonisation, energy storage, gasification, and the hydrogen economy. His expertise in electrolysis-enabled hydrogen generation and integrating renewable energy with existing power systems aligns closely with the local government’s net-zero ambitions and vision of becoming a global leader in hydrogen. His contributions have resulted in over 25 international journal publications, 10 international conference papers, and several book chapters, establishing him as an active researcher driving advancements in clean energy technologies.

Education

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering (2015), National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Karnataka, India.
• M.Tech in Energy System Engineering (2009), Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, Karnataka, India
• B.E in Mechanical Engineering (2006), Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum, India

Work Experience

Research 

• Post-Doctoral Research Associate, Sir Joseph Swan Centre for Energy Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK 

Teaching

• Assistant Professor, School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, College of Engineering and Technology, Dilla University, Ethiopia
• Asso. Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bearys Institute of Technology, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
• Assistant Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
• Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bearys Institute of Technology, Mangaluru, Karnataka, India
• Lecturer, SNS Polytechnic, Bajpe Mangalore, Karnataka, India

Membership of Societies

• Life member- The Combustion Institute (LMC-1382)
• Member- UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Community (UKCCSRC)
• Member- UK Supergen Bioenergy Hub
• Member- BBSRC NIBB  
• AFHEA (Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy)

External Links

Orcid

Google Scholar

LinkedIn

Research Grants [selected]

1. Shivaprasad K V (PI), D Roy, Y Wang,  A P Roskilly. “Assessment of pyrolysis performance of CHIcken manure in a Pyrolyser for Sustainable Energy conversion and Net Zero Applications (CHIP-SENZA), £54,788.54; 2025, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-NNZA, UK. 
2. Shivaprasad K V (PI), D Roy, Y Wang,  A P Roskilly. “Development of biochar based functional materials: Advancing a sustainable platform for carbon applications”, £47,803.32; 2024, EPSRC-Supergen funding call, UK. 
3. Shivaprasad K V (PI), D Roy, Y Wang, H Bao, A P Roskilly. “An optimisation study on the use of a novel syngas tuner for the sustainable production of ground and air transport liquid fuels (SYNTUNE)”, £48,398.78; 2024, EPSRC-IAA, UK. 
4. Y Wang, Shivaprasad K V (Co-I), “Achieving Net-Zero Carbon Emissions and a Circular Economy in Agriculture: Biowaste Utilization for Energy and Fertiliser at the Wallington Estate", £29,996.14; 2025, EPSRC-NNZA, UK. 
5. Y Wang, Shivaprasad K V (Co-I), Shunmin Zhu, A P Roskilly. “Development of magnetic crankshaft for hydrogen-free piston miller engine”, £34589.36; 2025, EPSRC-IAA, UK. 
6. Shunmin Zhu, Shivaprasad K V (Co-I), Ugochukwu Ngwaka, A P Roskilly. “On-board Cold Energy Recovery System For Liquid Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trucks," £25000; 2024, EPSRC-IAA and H2CHP Ltd, UK.
7. M Bhowmik, Shivaprasad K V (Co-I), D Roy. "Twin carbon capture system: Direct air capture integrated with biogasification coupled amine-based carbon capture and storage system," £9976.00; 2024, EPSRC-UK carbon capture and storage research centre (UKCCRSC), UK.
8. L. Xing, S. Roy, Shivaprasad K V (Co-I); “Distributed green hydrogen for building heating and cooling decarbonisation”; £49,903; 2022; Flexi Grant, EPSRC UK's Network Heating and Cooling flexigrant, UK.

Book Chapters / Proceedings Publication [selected]

1. Design and analysis of a biomass gasification facility integrated with methanol production system, 16th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE2024), Sep. 1-5, 2024, Niigata, Japan
2. A Preliminary Experimental Study on a Free-piston Engine Generator Prototype, 16th International Conference on Applied Energy (ICAE2024), Sep. 1-5, 2024, Niigata, Japan
3. Smallbone, A. J., S. Roy, K. V. Shivaprasad, B. Jia, and A. P. Roskilly. "The development and testing of a free-piston engine generator for hybrid electric vehicle applications." In Internal Combustion Engines and Powertrain Systems for Future Transport 2019: Proceedings of the International Conference on Internal Combustion Engines and Powertrain Systems for Future Transport,(ICEPSFT 2019), December 11-12, 2019, Birmingham, UK, p. 45. CRC Press, 2020. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.1201/9781003023982-5/development-testing-free-piston-engine-generator-hybrid-electric-vehicle-applications-smallbone-roy-shivaprasad-jia-roskilly

• Engines and Combustion
• Hydrogen Energy
• Energy Conversion Technology
• Energy Storage System
• Combined Heat and Power Systems
• Gasification

Conference Paper

• A preliminary experimental study on a free-piston engine generator prototype
  
  Zhu, S., Vijayalakshmi, S., Ngwaka, U., Roy, S., Williams, R., Smallbone, A., & Roskilly, A. P. (2025, January 1). A preliminary experimental study on a free-piston engine generator prototype. Presented at Energy Proceedings, Niigata, Japan. https://doi.org/10.46855/energy-proceedings-11548

Journal Article

• Towards sustainable power generation with free piston engine generators: comparative analysis of hydrogen and methane fuels
  
  Taghavifar, H., Shivaprasad, K. V., Smallbone, A., Roy, D., & Roskilly, A. P. (2026). Towards sustainable power generation with free piston engine generators: comparative analysis of hydrogen and methane fuels. Fuel, 413, Article 138237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2025.138237
• Cryogenic closed-cycle linear engine integration for cold energy recovery in fuel cell trucks
  
  Ngwaka, U., Zhu, S., Ling-Chin, J., Shivaprasad, K. V., Hu, S., Smallbone, A., & Roskilly, A. P. (2026). Cryogenic closed-cycle linear engine integration for cold energy recovery in fuel cell trucks. Applied Energy, 410, Article 127551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2026.127551
• An Integrated Pyrolysis Approach for Hydrogen Production and Microplastic Elimination from Sewage Sludge: Experimental and Analytical Perspectives
  
  Wilde, C., Vijayalakshmi, S., Malik, A., Wang, Y., Roskilly, A. P., & Bao, H. (2026). An Integrated Pyrolysis Approach for Hydrogen Production and Microplastic Elimination from Sewage Sludge: Experimental and Analytical Perspectives. Energy Advances. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5YA00228A
• Techno-economic assessment of a fuel flexible free piston engine generator based energy system for cold ironing application
  
  Roy, D., Ngwaka, U., Shivaprasad, K. V., Zhu, S., Taghavifar, H., Williams, R., Smallbone, A., & Roskilly, A. P. (2025). Techno-economic assessment of a fuel flexible free piston engine generator based energy system for cold ironing application. Energy, 332, Article 136954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2025.136954
• Techno-economic feasibility assessment for a standalone hybrid energy system integrating renewable energy sources
  
  Roy, D., Shivaprasad, K. V., Wang, Y., & Roskilly, A. P. (2025). Techno-economic feasibility assessment for a standalone hybrid energy system integrating renewable energy sources. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2025.101045
• Towards an eco-social circular economy: exploring the feasibility study of pyrolysis on agricultural feedstocks
  
  Allison, T., Shivaprasad, K. V., Malik, A., Rafiq, R., Wang, Y., & Roskilly, A. P. (2025). Towards an eco-social circular economy: exploring the feasibility study of pyrolysis on agricultural feedstocks. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 15(12), 18145-18157. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-024-06361-z
• Investigation of the operating characteristics of a free-piston closed-cycle Joule engine generator with helium as working fluid
  
  Wang, B., Zhu, S., Ngwaka, U., Jia, B., Vijayalakshmi Shivaprasad, K., Wang, Y., Smallbone, A., Paul Roskilly, A., & Luo, E. (2025). Investigation of the operating characteristics of a free-piston closed-cycle Joule engine generator with helium as working fluid. Energy Conversion and Management: X, 26, Article 100909. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecmx.2025.100909
• Integrating Green Hydrogen into Building-Distributed Multi-Energy Systems with Water Recirculation
  
  Lei, H., Thomas, J., Curnick, O., Shivaprasad, K., Roy, S., & Xing, L. (2025). Integrating Green Hydrogen into Building-Distributed Multi-Energy Systems with Water Recirculation. Applications in Energy and Combustion Science, 21, Article 100318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaecs.2024.100318
• Experimental and numerical investigation to optimise liquid desiccant system for advanced air conditioning
  
  Shivaprasad, K. V., Roy, S., Giampieri, A., Smallbone, A., & Roskilly, A. P. (2025). Experimental and numerical investigation to optimise liquid desiccant system for advanced air conditioning. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 7151. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-88738-2
• Hydrogen rich syngas production through sewage sludge pyrolysis: A comprehensive experimental investigation and performance optimisation using statistical analysis
  
  Shivaprasad, K. V., Heslop, J., Roy, D., Malik, A., Wang, Y., Roskilly, A. P., & Bao, H. (2024). Hydrogen rich syngas production through sewage sludge pyrolysis: A comprehensive experimental investigation and performance optimisation using statistical analysis. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 187, 270-278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2024.04.071
• An integrated smart thermo-chemical energy network
  
  Giampieri, A., Roy, S., Shivaprasad, K., Smallbone, A., & Roskilly, A. (2022). An integrated smart thermo-chemical energy network. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 168, Article 112869. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2022.112869
• Evaluation of performance characteristics of a novel hydrogen-fuelled free-piston engine generator
  
  Ngwaka, U., Smallbone, A., Jia, B., Lawrence, C., Towell, B., Roy, S., Kv, S., & Roskilly, A. P. (2021). Evaluation of performance characteristics of a novel hydrogen-fuelled free-piston engine generator. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 46(66), 33314-33324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.02.072
• Realization of a novel free-piston engine generator for hybrid electric-vehicle applications
  
  Smallbone, A., Hanipah, M. R., Jia, B., Scott, T., Heslop, J., Towell, B., Lawrence, C., Roy, S., Vijayalakshmi, S. K., & Roskilly, A. P. (2020). Realization of a novel free-piston engine generator for hybrid electric-vehicle applications. Energy and Fuels, 34(10), 12926-12939. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.0c01647
• Performance Analysis of a Flexi-Fuel Turbine-Combined Free-Piston Engine Generator
  
  Jia, B., Smallbone, A., Mikalsen, R., Shivaprasad, K. V., Roy, S., & Roskilly, A. P. (2019). Performance Analysis of a Flexi-Fuel Turbine-Combined Free-Piston Engine Generator. Energies, 12(14), Article 2657. https://doi.org/10.3390/en12142657