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Dr Vicky Skoulou

Post Nominals PGCert, AMIchemE, FHEA
Biography Are you passionate about biomass and waste, resilient low carbon waste- to -energy, H2 and net zero carbon energy solutions?
I am too and looking forward to collaborate on integrated Renewable Energy (RES) generation systems and integrated concepts, emphasized in biomass & other wastes' thermochemical treatments (carbonization/torrefaction/carbonization/pyrolysis/gasification and clean combustion-CCU /CCS) for net zero carbon decentralized energy generation!

I am the PI of the B3: Biomass waste -BioenergH2- Biochars Group of PGRs and PDRAs. My expertise covers the biomass waste pretreatments, low carbon thermal/thermochemical treatments (mainly pyrolysis and gasification) of lignocellulosic biomass residues, solid fuels, waste and their blends as well as designing of thermochemical reactors for waste to energy, H2 and chars- activated carbons production.
I received my PhD in 2009 from Chem. Engineering Dept. of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece under the supervision of Prof. Anastasia Zabaniotou. Outcome was the design, scaling up, construction and cold and hot flow operation as well as experimentation in a mobile 5KWth fluidized bed (FB) gasifier for decetralized syngas-H2-energy production from agricultural waste in collaboration with industry (Philipoppoulos Energy Technical S.A., Greece). I subsequently received the Research Excellence Award (2010) to continue my research on co-pyrolysis and co-gasification of biodiesel industry waste/lignocellulosic waste and mixtures for syngas (H2+CO) production (collaboration with Vert Oil S.A.). In 2011 I received a pan-hellenic award (State scholarship) from the National Funding Scholarships Association, Greece for assessing the low carbon pyrolysis and gasification characteristics of natural biopolymers (lignin and cellulose) of locally available lignocellulosic wastes and mixtures. As a result I was one of the 79 best researchers of AUTh for 2010-11, among >2,500 active research staff at that time, and honored by the Secretary of the Hellenic Ministry of Higher Education in the Awards ceremony 'AUTh University Excellence' ( 21/9/2011). On 2012 I was offered the Research Associate position in Chem. Engineering Dept. at Imperial College (ICL), London where I established an advanced thermal treatment reactor (spouted bed gasifier for coal/woody biomass exploitation) running under pyrolysis and gasification conditions, as well as dealt with gaseous emissions control. On January 2014, I was appointed as a Lecturer in Chem. Engineering , Faculty of Science and Engineering (FoSE) University of Hull (UoH) . On February 2019, appointed as Director of Research (DR) of Chemical Engineering Department, and on August 2020 promoted to Senior Lecturer (Assoc. Professor) in Chemical Engineering -Biomass Waste to Energy. Between March 2021-July 2022 served the role of DR of both Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Departments, UoH, while from August 2022 I serve the role of Graduate Research Director (GRD) of School of Engineering (Chem, Elec, Mec and Med. Engineering subjects) , UoH. During the last 17 years, I participate(d) as PI and Co-I in 27 research projects in the field of Biomass/Waste -Solid fuels- Low carbon energy/Biofuels- H2- Biochars, emission control and activated carbons. The majority of research projects I participate(d) are/ were funded by UK funding bodies in UK ( EPSRC, HEFCE, British Council) and abroad (H2020, FP7, European Commission, General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GTRT), Greek Ministries of Higher Education and Ministry of Development) as well as co-funded by private sector abroad and in UK.
Research Interests I am interested in providing supervision in the following fields
and welcome self-funded applications from potential
MSc by Research and PhD students passionate about the following areas:

-Biomass waste /Waste characterisation, pre-treatments and alternative ways of exploitation.
-Thermochemical treatments (carbonization-torrefaction-pyrolysis-gasification-combustion) of food-woody biomass waste, fossil fuels and other waste for waste to energy (WtE), bioenergy-biofuels, biochar production.
-Bioenergy/solid-gaseous biofuels systems design / re purposing of existing technologies to adapt new types of waste to fuels/feed stock
-Advanced cycles and alternative processes for biomass, fossil fuels and waste exploitation for biofuels-bioenergy-biochars under the circular economy scenario.
-Combined Renewable Energy Sources (RES) energy production systems, emphasized in lignocellulosic biomass/other waste sources for net zero carbon centralised and decentralized solutions.
-2nd, 3rd and 4th Generation Feedstock for Biofuels production
-Biorefineries/Waste-Refineries and integration of thermochemical and biochemical processing routes of biomass/waste
-Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to resilient chemical engineering solutions for energy generation and waste minimization.
- Sustainable Chemical Engineering solution for the Environment and Health applications.
- Resilient and sustainable energy generation for industry , transportation and building sectors.
Teaching and Learning I am currently the Module leader and Tutor of :

Level 7: Energy Generation from Conventional and Renewable Fuels
2023.24)

and during academic year 2023.24 contributing in teaching the following fields :

Level 4: Engineering Global Challenge I - Guest Lecturer
Level 6: Technology Selection and Process Economics (experienced design/process engineer serve the role of second marker)
Level 6: Engineering Research Project - Supervisor
Level 7: Energy Sources and Utilization Technologies - Guest Lecturer
Level 7: Renewable Energy Technologies for Buildings - Guest Lecturer
Level 7: Individual Engineering Projects (MSc) - Supervisor

Have also an excessive past experience in further teaching and assessment of Engineering modules ( Jan 2014- July 2023) in the fields of :

Level 4: Process Safety and Chemistry
Level 4: Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering & Principles of Chemical Engineering
Level 4&5: Engineering Global Challenge I & II
Level 4&5: Chemical Engineering Challenge I & II
Level 4 & 5: Chemistry Labs for Chem. Engineers and Chemical Engineering Labs
Level 5: Chemical Processes and Practice
Level 5: Science without Borders Summer Projects 2013-14 ( Supervisor and Second Marker of SwB individual research projects )
Level 5: Transport Processes I & Introduction to Materials Science (Co-Tutor and sole responsible for Mass transfer)
Level 5: (Separation Processes ) & Particle Technology and Principles of (Separation Processes and) Particle Technology (Co-Tutor and sole responsible for Particle Technology)
Level 5: Research Skills and Project planning (PhD Supervisor PGT module assignments assessor)
Level 6: Chemical Engineering Design Project (Co-Tutor and Mentor of Chemical Engineering Design groups of of students)
Level 6: Chemical Engineering Research projects (both Supervisor and Second Marker responsibilities for core Chemical Engineering projects)
Level 6: Engineering Research projects (both Supervisor and Second Marker responsibilities for Chemical, Mechanical and Elec Engineering projects)
Level 7 : Energy Technologies ( Guest lecturer in Biomass waste and low carbon energy generation from waste )

PGRs modules : Research Integrity and Ethics
Scopus Author ID 15835734300