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Chemical Engineering · Process Optimization · Techno-Economic Analysis

Postdoctoral Researcher · Alexander von Humboldt Fellow

Chemical Engineer (Ph.D.) & R&D Specialist · Technical University of Munich

Deep decarbonization, hydrogen, electrification, and sustainable industrial systems.

Citations
3,100

Google Scholar

h-index
25

Google Scholar

i10-index
28

Google Scholar

Publications
33

7 in the global top 1% most cited

  • Top 0.05% scholar in Mathematical Optimization — World #89, Denmark #3
  • Top 2% of researchers globally in sustainable energy systems
Read more

01 / About

Biography

Chemical Engineer (Ph.D.) and R&D Specialist in energy system modelling, hydrogen, and Power-to-X systems, multi-objective optimization, techno-economic analysis, and data-driven computational research. Strong programming background (MATLAB, Python-based tools, EES) and experience with process simulation software (Aspen, HYSYS, TRNSYS).

Experienced in collaborative interdisciplinary research, publishing in high-impact journals, and supervising graduate students. Advanced proficiency in single- and multi-objective optimization (NSGA-II, MOPSO, and MOGWO), machine learning, and uncertainty management, combined with a strong record of interdisciplinary collaboration, teaching, and student supervision.

Outside of the office, I'm an avid electric guitar player and a music enthusiast. Exploring different genres keeps my perspective fresh and creative. I also stay active through weightlifting; keeping a strong fitness routine is my favorite way to reset and maintain the high level of focus needed for complex optimization work.
Away from the desk

Software & Programming

Programming
MATLAB, Python, Engineering Equation Solver
Simulation & Analysis
Aspen HYSYS, TRNSYS, ANSYS, COMSOL
CAD
CATIA, SolidWorks
Graphics
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Other
Microsoft Office, OriginLab

Languages

Persian
Native
English
Fluent
Danish
Basic
Chinese (Mandarin)
Basic

02 / Research

Research focus

Six threads run through the work: turning renewable electricity into fuels, keeping carbon out of the atmosphere, storing energy across seasons, and using optimization and machine learning to make each of those economically defensible.

Power-to-X & Hydrogen

Plant-wide process models for Power-to-X systems that convert renewable electricity into hydrogen, methane, methanol and ammonia.

  • Power-to-Gas, Power-to-Liquid and Power-to-Chemicals pathways
  • PEM and solid oxide electrolysis, hydrogen energy storage
  • Renewable energy integration and sector coupling
  • Green fuel production and hydrogen hubs

18 papers in this area

Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage

CO₂ capture, compression, liquefaction and transport for biomass CHP plants, including biogenic CO₂ utilisation pathways.

  • BECCS and CCUS system design
  • CO₂ compression, liquefaction and pipeline transport
  • Transport pathway evaluation across pipelines and shipping
  • Offshore CCUS and infrastructure repurposing

5 papers in this area

Energy Storage Systems

Compressed air, thermal and hydrogen storage integrated into polygeneration systems for grid flexibility and peak-load management.

  • Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES)
  • Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
  • Hydrogen Energy Storage (HES)
  • Seasonal power-to-gas-to-power storage

9 papers in this area

Multi-Objective Optimization

Single- and multi-objective optimization of energy systems, from equipment sizing through to operational strategy.

  • NSGA-II, MOPSO and MOGWO algorithms
  • Process efficiency improvement and equipment sizing
  • Operational strategy development and troubleshooting
  • Uncertainty management and sensitivity analysis

24 papers in this area

Techno-Economic & Exergy Analysis

Energy, exergy and exergoeconomic (3E) assessment paired with cost–benefit analysis to test commercial viability.

  • Techno-economic assessment (TEA)
  • Energy and exergy analysis
  • Cost–benefit analysis and Net Present Value (NPV)
  • Carbon reduction assessment

9 papers in this area

Data-Driven & Intelligent Modelling

Machine learning and artificial neural networks used as fast surrogates for computationally expensive thermodynamic models.

  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence
  • Scenario development and forecasting
  • Data-driven decision modelling and visualisation
  • MATLAB and Python toolchains

24 papers in this area

Applied domains

Energy Storage
Compressed Air (CAES), Thermal (TES), Hydrogen (HES), Power-to-X (PtG, PtL, PtC)
Renewable Energy
Wind, Solar, Fuel cell, Biomass, Biowaste, Geothermal, Ocean energy
Thermodynamics
Energy, Exergy, Economic, Thermo-economic, Multi-objective Optimization
Refrigeration Cycles
Absorption and Compression Chillers, Heat Pumps, HVAC, CHP, Ejector
Desalination Cycles
Reverse osmosis, MED-TVC

Core competencies

Energy Systems Modeling

  • Renewable energy integration
  • Power-to-X (Ammonia, Methane, Methanol)
  • Hydrogen energy pathways
  • Energy system simulation
  • Sustainable energy solutions

Process Optimization

  • Multi-objective optimization
  • Process efficiency improvement
  • Equipment sizing
  • Operational strategy development
  • Process troubleshooting

Techno-Economic & Sustainability Analysis

  • Techno-economic assessment (TEA)
  • Energy and exergy analysis
  • Cost–benefit analysis
  • Carbon reduction assessment
  • Net Present Value (NPV)

Data Analysis & Intelligent Modeling

  • Data analytics
  • Machine learning
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Scenario development and forecasting
  • Data visualization

Process Design Documentation

  • Process Flow Diagrams (PFD)
  • Piping & Instrumentation Diagrams (P&ID)
  • Engineering calculations
  • Proposal writing
  • System design specifications

Collaboration & Teamwork

  • Multidisciplinary teamwork
  • Academic–industry cooperation
  • Technical presentations

03 / Experience

Positions

Research appointments across Denmark, Germany, France, the United States and Iran — from doctoral work on Power-to-X and CCUS to an independent Humboldt fellowship.

  1. May 2026 – April 2028

    Current

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Technical University of Munich · Munich, Germany

    Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship

    • Awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for independent research in decarbonization systems.
    • Led the Waste2X project integrating biowaste valorization with Power-to-X (PtX).
    • Designed integrated systems for biogas, hydrogen, and synthetic fuels.
    • Developed multi-scale energy system models (MW–GW level).
    • Integrated CCUS and biogenic CO₂ utilization pathways.
    • Collaborated across energy systems, policy, and industrial applications.
    • Industrial Decarbonization
    • Machine Learning
    • Synthetic Fuels
    • Sector Coupling
    • Biowaste Valorization

  2. August 2025 – November 2025

    Postdoctoral Researcher

    Aalborg University · Esbjerg, Denmark

    Carbon capture and transportation from biomass CHP plant

    • Developed and optimized CO₂ capture and transport systems for biomass power plants.
    • Modeled CO₂ compression, liquefaction, and pipeline transport processes.
    • Evaluated CO₂ transport pathways, including pipelines and shipping.
    • Performed techno-economic and environmental assessments of CCUS systems.
    • Collaborated with multidisciplinary research teams to develop sustainable carbon management plans.
    • CCUS
    • BECCS
    • CO₂ Transport
    • CO₂ Compression
    • Biomass Power Plants
    • Carbon Management

  3. May 2022 – June 2025

    Ph.D. Fellow — Chemical Engineering

    Aalborg University · Esbjerg, Denmark

    Multi-sector decarbonization

    • Engineered plant-wide process models for Power-to-X (PtX) and CCUS systems to produce green fuels.
    • Optimized energy systems using NSGA-II and MOPSO algorithms to maximize operational efficiency.
    • Conducted techno-economic assessments to ensure the commercial viability of energy projects.
    • Developed high-efficiency thermal management models for district heating and cooling systems.
    • Presented research findings at international conferences, advancing sustainable energy systems.
    • Power-to-X (PtX)
    • Green Hydrogen
    • Electrolysis
    • Techno-Economic Analysis
    • MATLAB
    • Python
    • Sustainable Fuels

  4. April 2024 – July 2024

    Research Intern

    University of Pau · Pau, France

    Waste heat recovery of PtX systems

    • Designed waste heat recovery (WHR) models to enhance the thermal efficiency of PtX systems.
    • Evaluated heat integration strategies to optimize the energy performance of industrial PtX infrastructure.
    • Analyzed energy flows to identify optimization pathways for industrial waste heat utilization.
    • Waste Heat Recovery
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Thermal Management
    • System Optimization
    • District Heating & Cooling

  5. May 2023 – July 2023

    Research Intern

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology · Cambridge, MA, USA

    Funded by Uddannelses- og Forskningsministeriet

  6. September 2022 – November 2022

    Research Assistant

    Aalborg University · Esbjerg, Denmark

    Funded by the Danish Offshore Technology Center

    • Evaluated the feasibility of repurposing offshore oil & gas infrastructure for renewable energy transitions.
    • Designed and analyzed a PtX plant for offshore applications with a focus on environmental sustainability.
    • Simulated PtX process systems for offshore applications, including heat and mass balance modeling.
    • Collaborated with the Danish Offshore Technology Center to optimize the use of existing infrastructure.
    • Offshore Engineering
    • Offshore CCUS
    • Infrastructure Repurposing
    • Hydrogen Hubs
    • Technical Feasibility

  7. September 2020 – April 2022

    Research Assistant

    University of Tehran · Tehran, Iran

04 / Publications

Publications

39 indexed works. Filter by research area, or sort by citation count to see the most-referenced first.

Filter publications by research area

Showing 39 publications · 3,175 citations

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2026

3 papers

  1. Superstructure optimization reveals novel cost-optimal power-to-methanol pathways using hybrid solid oxide electrolysis cells

    Meng Qi, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Chengtian Cui, Zeyu Zhang,

    Applied Energy

    3

    citations

  2. Optimizing a dispatchable solar-biomass hybrid system for sustainable polygeneration

    Lina Wang, Arbel Yaniv, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi

    Energy Conversion and Management X

    0

    citations

  3. Waste-Heat and Cold-Exergy Recovery in an Integrated CAES–ORC–LNG Energy System

    Lina Wang, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi

    Energies

    0

    citations

2025

4 papers

  1. Solar-Enhanced ocean thermal energy conversion for green liquid hydrogen production

    Lina Wang, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Oussama Rejeb

    Applied Thermal Engineering

    7

    citations

  2. Allam cycle-based integrated energy storage system for cross-sector decarbonization

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Meng Qi, Chang He, Gürkan Sin,

    Journal of Energy Storage

    3

    citations

  3. Sensitivity analysis and optimization of a seasonal power-to-gas-to-power energy storage system

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, T. Kousksou, Haoshui Yu

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

    1

    citation

  4. INTEGRATION OF THE ALLAM CYCLE AND POWER-TO-X TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi

    Aalborg UniversityDoctoral thesisFull text for INTEGRATION OF THE ALLAM CYCLE AND POWER-TO-X TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

    0

    citations

2024

2 papers

  1. Leveraging machine learning in porous media

    Mostafa Delpisheh, Benyamin Ebrahimpour, Abolfazl Fattahi, Majid Siavashi,

    Journal of Materials Chemistry AFull text for Leveraging machine learning in porous media

    77

    citations

  2. Development and analysis of a novel power-to-gas-to-power system driven by the Allam cycle for simultaneous electricity and water production

    Lina Wang, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Haoshui Yu

    Energy Conversion and Management

    22

    citations

2023

4 papers

  1. Process design, integration, and optimization of a novel compressed air energy storage for the coproduction of electricity, cooling, and water

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Truls Gundersen, Ahmad Arabkoohsar, Jiří Jaromír Klemeš,

    Renewable and Sustainable Energy ReviewsFull text for Process design, integration, and optimization of a novel compressed air energy storage for the coproduction of electricity, cooling, and water

    51

    citations

  2. Renewable-integrated flexible production of energy and methane via re-using existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Alessandro Perrucci, Marco Maschietti, Meng Qi,

    Journal of Cleaner ProductionFull text for Renewable-integrated flexible production of energy and methane via re-using existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure

    28

    citations

  3. A comprehensive study and tri-objective optimization for an efficient waste heat recovery from solid oxide fuel cell

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Truls Gundersen, Haoshui Yu

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

    23

    citations

  4. A Novel Integrated System Driven by Allam Cycle for the Simultaneous Energy, Water, and Waste Management

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Gürkan Sin, Ahmad Arabkoohsar, Truls Gundersen, Haoshui Yu

    Chemical Engineering TransactionsConference paperFull text for A Novel Integrated System Driven by Allam Cycle for the Simultaneous Energy, Water, and Waste Management

    1

    citation

2022

11 papers

  1. A green hydrogen energy storage concept based on parabolic trough collector and proton exchange membrane electrolyzer/fuel cell: Thermodynamic and exergoeconomic analyses with multi-objective optimization

    Amir Reza Razmi, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Mohammad Hossein Nabat, Ehsanolah Assareh, Mahdi Shahbakhti

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

    252

    citations

  2. Innovative integrated solar powered polygeneration system for green Hydrogen, Oxygen, electricity and heat production

    Oussama Rejeb, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Ehsanolah Assareh, Mamdouh El Haj Assad,

    Energy Conversion and Management

    93

    citations

  3. Development and multi-criteria optimization of a solar thermal power plant integrated with PEM electrolyzer and thermoelectric generator

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Ehsanolah Assareh, Ahmad Arabkoohsar, Haoshui Yu,

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

    86

    citations

  4. An efficient renewable hybridization based on hydrogen storage for peak demand reduction: A rule-based energy control and optimization using machine learning techniques

    Amirmohammad Behzadi, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Haoshui Yu, Sasan Sadrizadeh

    Journal of Energy StorageFull text for An efficient renewable hybridization based on hydrogen storage for peak demand reduction: A rule-based energy control and optimization using machine learning techniques

    74

    citations

  5. A comparative evaluation of alternative optimization strategies for a novel heliostat-driven hydrogen production/injection system coupled with a vanadium chlorine cycle

    Amirmohammad Behzadi, Ehsan Gholamian, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Behrouz Nourozi, Sasan Sadrizadeh

    Energy Conversion and ManagementFull text for A comparative evaluation of alternative optimization strategies for a novel heliostat-driven hydrogen production/injection system coupled with a vanadium chlorine cycle

    69

    citations

  6. Thermo-economic appraisal and operating fluid selection of geothermal-driven ORC configurations integrated with PEM electrolyzer

    Mohammad Ranjbar Hasani, Navid Nedaei, Ehsanolah Assareh, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi

    Energy

    63

    citations

  7. Soft computing investigation of stand-alone gas turbine and hybrid gas turbine–solid oxide fuel cell systems via artificial intelligence and multi-objective grey wolf optimizer

    Amirhossein Hasanzadeh, Ata Chitsaz, Amir Ghasemi, Parisa Mojaver,

    Energy Reports

    58

    citations

  8. An innovative four-objective dragonfly-inspired optimization algorithm for an efficient, green, and cost-effective waste heat recovery from SOFC

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Amirmohammad Behzadi, Pouria Ahmadi, Sasan Sadrizadeh

    Energy

    52

    citations

  9. Comparative study, working fluid selection, and optimal design of three systems for electricity and freshwater based on solid oxide fuel cell mover cycle

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Amir Ebrahimi‐Moghadam

    Applied Energy

    31

    citations

  10. An Innovative Polygeneration System Integrating Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) and Multi-effect Desalination for Efficient LNG Cold Energy Utilization

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Truls Gundersen, Haoshui Yu

    Chemical Engineering TransactionsConference paper

    4

    citations

  11. Zero-emission production of energy and methane re-using existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure

    Haoshui Yu, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Alessandro Perrucci, Marco Maschietti

    Aalborg University Research PortalConference paperFull text for Zero-emission production of energy and methane re-using existing offshore oil and gas infrastructure

    0

    citations

2021

12 papers

  1. Comprehensive assessment and multi-objective optimization of a green concept based on a combination of hydrogen and compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Amir Reza Razmi, Ahmad Arabkoohsar

    Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

    294

    citations

  2. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis and multi-criteria optimization of a compressed air energy storage (CAES) hybridized with solar and desalination units

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Shadi Bashiri Mousavi, Amir Reza Razmi, Pouria Ahmadi

    Energy Conversion and Management

    293

    citations

  3. Green hydrogen & electricity production via geothermal-driven multi-generation system: Thermodynamic modeling and optimization

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Ehsanolah Assareh, Nader Nadaki Pourghassab, Mostafa Delpisheh,

    Fuel

    164

    citations

  4. Multi-objective optimization of a biomass gasification to generate electricity and desalinated water using Grey Wolf Optimizer and artificial neural network

    Farayi Musharavati, Alireza Khoshnevisan, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Pouria Ahmadi, Shoaib Khanmohammadi

    Chemosphere

    157

    citations

  5. A Sustainable model for the integration of solar and geothermal energy boosted with thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for electricity, cooling and desalination purpose

    Ehsanolah Assareh, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Pouria Ahmadi

    Geothermics

    148

    citations

  6. Soft computing analysis of a compressed air energy storage and SOFC system via different artificial neural network architecture and tri-objective grey wolf optimization

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Seyedeh Fateme Mousavi, Pouria Ahmadi, Ahmad Arabkoohsar

    Energy

    111

    citations

  7. Electrolyzer-fuel cell combination for grid peak load management in a geothermal power plant: Power to hydrogen and hydrogen to power conversion

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Ehsanolah Assareh, Ata Chitsaz, Shahriyar Ghazanfari Holagh, Saeid Jalilinasrabady

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

    105

    citations

  8. Soft computing based optimization of a novel solar heliostat integrated energy system using artificial neural networks

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Alireza Khoshnevisan, Peimaneh Shirazi, Pouria Ahmadi, Dariush Kari

    Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments

    100

    citations

  9. Thermodynamic assessment of a cogeneration system with CSP Driven-Brayton and Rankine cycles for electric power and hydrogen production in the framework of the energy and water nexus

    Ehsanolah Assareh, Mohammad Assareh, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Milad Shayegh,

    Energy NexusFull text for Thermodynamic assessment of a cogeneration system with CSP Driven-Brayton and Rankine cycles for electric power and hydrogen production in the framework of the energy and water nexus

    67

    citations

  10. Thermodynamic-economic optimization of a solar-powered combined energy system with desalination for electricity and freshwater production

    Ehsanolah Assareh, Mostafa Delpisheh, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Sirous Tafi, Mónica Carvalho

    Smart Energy

    55

    citations

  11. An extensive thermo-economic evaluation and optimization of an integrated system empowered by solar-wind-ocean energy converter for electricity generation – Case study: Bandar Abas, Iran

    Ehsanolah Assareh, Mohammad Assareh, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Saeid Jalilinasrabady,

    Thermal Science and Engineering Progress

    52

    citations

  12. Integration of the Intelligent Optimisation Algorithms with the Artificial Neural Networks to predict the performance of a counter flow wet cooling tower with rotational packing

    Nima Assari, Ehsanolah Assareh, Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Seyyed Hossein Hosseini,

    International Journal of Ambient Energy

    5

    citations

2020

3 papers

  1. Multi-objective design optimization of a multi-generation energy system based on geothermal and solar energy

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Sajjad Rahmani Dabbagh, Pouria Ahmadi, Somchai Wongwises

    Energy Conversion and Management

    304

    citations

  2. Multi-criteria design optimization and thermodynamic analysis of a novel multi-generation energy system for hydrogen, cooling, heating, power, and freshwater

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Mohsen Rostami, Amirhamzeh Farajollahi

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

    178

    citations

  3. Energy, exergy, and exergoeconomics (3E) analysis and multi-objective optimization of a multi-generation energy system for day and night time power generation - Case study: Dezful city

    Seyed Mojtaba Alirahmi, Ehsanolah Assareh

    International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

    144

    citations

View the complete record on Google Scholar

05 / Education

Education & recognition

  1. May 2022 – June 2025

    Ph.D. Chemical Engineering

    Aalborg University · Esbjerg, Denmark

    Thesis
    Integration of the Allam Cycle and Power-to-X Toward a Sustainable Future

  2. February 2018 – July 2020

    M.Sc. Mechanical Engineering

    Islamic Azad University, Dezful · Dezful, Iran

  3. September 2014 – January 2018

    B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering

    Islamic Azad University, Dezful · Dezful, Iran

Honors & awards

  • Recognized among the top 2% of researchers globally in sustainable energy systems based on research impact
  • Top 0.05% scholar in Design, ranked 26 globally
  • Top 0.05% scholar in Mathematical Optimization, ranked 89 globally
  • Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (AvH), 2026–2028
  • Seal of Excellence for MSCA Proposal, European Commission, 2025
  • Travel grant awarded by MDPI Processes to attend an international conference, 2024
  • Acknowledged as one of the top Master's theses in Khuzestan Province, 2020
  • Published 33 scientific papers, seven ranking in the top 1% of most cited papers worldwide
  • Reviewer for over 100 papers in international journals
  • Best Paper Award at the PRES'22 Conference
  • Recognized as a top 10 productive researcher in hydrogen and electrolyzer globally, 2022

06 / Contact

Get in touch

Open to research collaboration, industrial partnerships, and student supervision in energy system modelling, Power-to-X and CCUS.

Phone
+45 50322193
Location
Esbjerg, Denmark

Elsewhere