Dr Prodip Das

Senior Lecturer in Hydrogen Energy Systems

Email

Location

3.023 Engineering Forum

Social Media

Engineering Discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Research Institutes

Energy Systems
Research Publications
Prodip Das

Dr Prodip Das holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, where he specialised in hydrogen fuel cells under the supervision of Professor Xianguo Li. He also holds two MSc degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and the University of Alberta, and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from BUET, where he graduated in 1998 with top honours, first place in his graduating class, record marks, and the Gold Medal in Mechanical Engineering.

Dr Das began his academic career at BUET, where he served as a Lecturer (1998–2001) and then as an Assistant Professor (2001–2007) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He completed his PhD in 2010 and subsequently joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow (2010–2013), working with Dr Adam Weber. His postdoctoral research focused on water management and water transport dynamics in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, as well as real-time defect detection using infrared thermography.

His research focuses on hydrogen energy, electrochemical energy conversion and storage, electric-vehicle technologies, and advanced thermofluid and multiphysics modelling. His work spans hydrogen fuel cells and water electrolyzers, lithium-ion batteries, battery safety, recycling and second-life applications, and advanced heat and mass transfer. A major focus of his current research is the modelling, design, and optimisation of PEM and AEM fuel cells and electrolyzers, with particular emphasis on transport phenomena, water and thermal management, hydrogen production, electrochemical performance, and degradation. He also investigates EV battery performance, ageing, safety, recycling, and reuse, including the repurposing of retired batteries for second-life energy-storage applications. His broader research interests include electrothermal characterisation, convective heat transfer, nanofluids, and nature-inspired thermal transport, which complement his work in energy conversion, storage, and thermal management.

Dr Das has made substantial contributions to the fields of hydrogen energy, fuel cells, electrolyzers, batteries, and sustainable energy technologies, with more than 140 scientific articles, seven book chapters, and eight edited books. He is the lead editor of Fuel Cells for Transportation: Fundamental Principles and Applications, a comprehensive reference work on fuel-cell technologies for transportation. His research has received more than 5,400 citations and an h-index of 34.

He has delivered more than 40 invited and keynote presentations and contributes to the international research community through editorial, advisory, peer-review, conference, and research-funding activities. His research and professional contributions have been recognised through awards, including the Dr V.G. Desa Gold Medal, the Dr Chandrashekar Memorial Award in Sustainable Energy, and the ASME Emerging Investigators in Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage Award.

Editorships 

  • Associate Editor in Electrochemical Engineering, Frontiers in Chemical Engineering (2022–date)
  • Associate Editor, Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage (2021–date)
  • Associate Editor in Fuel Cells, Electrolyzers and Membrane Reactors, Frontiers in Energy Research (2020–2024)

Guest Editor

Editorial/Advisory Board Member

  • Electronic Materials (2026–date)
  • Batteries (2022–date)
  • Renewable and Sustainable Energy (2022–date)
  • Challenges (2020–date)
  • Energies (2019–2023)
  • Inventions (2018–date)

  • Thermodynamics 4
  • Mechanical Engineering 3
  • Energy Vectors (IDCORE)
  • BEng Mechanical Engineering Project
  • Sustainable Energy Systems Dissertation
  • Mechanical Engineering MEng Individual Project
  • Professional Issues for Mechanical Engineers

  • Hydrogen energy systems, including proton-exchange membrane and anion-exchange membrane fuel cells and water electrolyzers, with a focus on transport phenomena, water and thermal management, and system performance.
  • Multiphysics and multiphase modelling of fuel cells and electrolyzers, including high-fidelity physics-based models for understanding mass, heat, charge, and species transport.
  • Hydrogen production and storage, including modelling and optimisation of water electrolysis, hydrogen transport, and emerging approaches to large-scale hydrogen storage.
  • Lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, particularly battery thermal behaviour, ageing, performance, safety, and electrothermal characterisation.
  • Battery safety, health, and environmental impacts, including the understanding and mitigation of battery fire hazards and other risks associated with electric-vehicle batteries.
  • Recycling, reuse, and second-life applications of EV batteries, with particular interest in repurposing retired batteries for less demanding applications such as stationary and domestic energy storage.
  • Advanced thermal management and heat transfer, including convective heat transfer, nanofluids, and nature-inspired thermal design for energy and electronic systems.

A common theme across these research areas is the development of fundamental understanding, advanced modelling and simulation tools, and innovative engineering solutions to improve the efficiency, reliability, safety, sustainability, and scalability of low-carbon energy-conversion and storage technologies.

  • Fuel cells and water electrolyzers
  • Multiphysics modelling
  • Electric-vehicle batteries
  • Battery safety and sustainability
  • EV battery recycling and second life
  • Advanced thermal management
  • Clean-energy technology optimisation