Mehdi Nazarinia

Role
Associate Executive Dean: Academic Quality
Section
School of Engineering & Physical Sciences
Email
Phone
+971 4 571 7000
Mehdi Nazarinia

About

Dr. Nazarinia is a Professor of Fluid Mechanics and Renewable Energy at Heriot-Watt University (HWU), Dubai. He is specialised in experimental fluid dynamics and the aerodynamics of vehicles such as ground transportation systems, vehicles, airplane wings and winglets, and wind turbines. He is the Associate Executive Dean: Academic Quality of the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and the Chair of the University Discipline Committee. He teaches fluid mechanics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and Computational Fluid Dynamics at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Biography

Academic Leadership and Affiliations: 

  • January 2024 – present: Chair,
    University Discipline Committee (UDC) 
  • November 2022 – July 2024: Chair,
    Academic Integrity Group (AIG)
  • August 2022 – December 2023: Vice Chair,
    University Discipline Committee (UDC)
  • November 2020 – present: Associate Executive Dean: Academic Quality (aka Director of Academic Quality),
    School of Engineering and Physical Sciences 
  • January 2018 – May 2021: Associate Director of Learning and Teaching,
    Dubai Campus, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences 
  • July 2015 – December 2018: Programme Director of Studies -
    Mechanical Engineering, Dubai Campus, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences 

Membership of professional bodies

  • Fellow Member (FIMechE), Institution of Mechanical Engineers 
  • Chartered Engineer (CEng), Engineering Council 
  • FIEAust CPEng APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus), Engineers Australia 
  • Senior Fellow of the HEA (SFHEA), Advance HE 
  • Member, Australasian Fluid & Thermal Engineering Society 
  • Member, Australasian Association for Engineering Education 
  • Appeal Committee Member, Institution of Mechanical Engineers  
  • Academic Integrity Network Member, The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education 
  • Academic Liaison Officer (ALO), Institution of Mechanical Engineers
Research

Professor Nazarinia’s renewable research expands over a wider range of topics, he has for example worked on design of solar tracking control mechanism, design of solar concentrated photovoltaic receiver, wind turbine siting over a forward-facing step, design of a solar waste compactor, design of solar pumping for irrigation lines and swimming pools, and helical coil solar thermal receiver for low-cost solar collection rig.

He also has supervised master and undergraduate research students in projects in HVAC and building services in collaboration with Industrial companies such as Daikin Middle East, Trox, Burohappold, Desert Group, Wilo Middle East, Green Solutions and many more. Some of the project titles are: Effective U-value of wall assemblies, Experimental investigation of building air tightness, Post construction testing of building envelope: Significance of in-situ U-value measurements for wall assemblies, Indoor/Outdoor Air Exchange – Balancing Energy, Building Comfort and Health Issues in Extreme Climate, Sustainable Master Planning of Communities, Zero Energy Villa, District Cooling Studies, Earth based Construction, and recently assessing the power consumption data of inverter and non-inverter air conditioners.

Professor Nazarinia’s research interests are experimental fluids mechanics, aerodynamics, wind turbine performance, solar energy, solar collectors, and renewable energy in general. His specialisations are particle image velocimetry (PIV), aerodynamics, renewable energy, wind energy, building airtightness and gas dynamics.

Publications

Professor Nazarinia has published in more than 70 reputable journals and peer reviewed conferences.

Summary of his key publications are available on: Mehdi Nazarinia — Heriot-Watt Research Portal (hw.ac.uk)