Dr. Manish Kumar

Dr. Manish Kumar
Assistant Professor. Dept. of Aerospace Engg. & Aviation Science
Area of Expertise – Atomization, Combustion,Multiphase Flow Studies, Fuel Reforming, Propulsion

 

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Assistant Professor

Department of Aerospace Engineering & Aviation Science
Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU)

Area of Expertise – Atomization • Combustion • Multiphase Flow Studies • Fuel Reforming • Propulsion (Experimental & Numerical Methods)

📧 Email: manish.kumar@rgnau.ac.in
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Brief Profile

Dr. Manish Kumar joined the Department of Aerospace Engineering & Aviation Science, RGNAU with expertise in propulsion, combustion, and aerothermal systems. He previously served as Research Associate at the National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology (NCCAT), Loughborough University (UK), on a Rolls-Royce–funded project developing advanced afterburner technologies. He holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Kharagpur, an M.E. in Space Engineering and Rocketry from BIT Mesra, and a B.E. in Aeronautical Engineering from Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science. His research interests include combustion, spray dynamics, and fuel reforming using both experimental and computational approaches.

Educational Background

  1. B.E. (Aeronautical Engineering) – Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science (2013)
  2. M.E. (Space Engineering & Rocketry) – Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra (2015)
  3. Ph.D. (Aerospace Engineering) – Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (2022)

Academic, Research & Administrative Experience

  1. Research Associate (2024 – 2025) – NCCAT, Loughborough University (Rolls-Royce Project)
  2. Postdoctoral Researcher (2022 – 2023) – Technion & GTIIT (Israel)
  3. Assistant Professor (2022) – Sandip University
  4. Junior Research Fellow (2017 – 2018) – IIT Kharagpur
  5. Teaching Assistant (2019 – 2022) – IIT Kharagpur
  6. Assistant Professor (2015 – 2017) – Priyadarshini College of Engineering, Nagpur

Journal Reviewer

Aerospace Science and Technology, Fuel, International Journal of Energy, International Journal of Spray and Combustion Dynamics, Energies, ACS Omega, Fire Safety Journal, Fuels, Energy and Fuels, Measurement Science and Technology, Journal of Aeronautics, Astronautics and Aviation, and multiple conference review committees.

Research & Academic Achievements

  • First Place – NASA ERA College Challenge (2012, Green Aviation Non-US)
  • Second Place – RC Air Competition, IIST Trivandrum (2012)
  • First Place – Aero Design & Fabrication, SAE India (2011)
  • University Excellence Award – NASA ERA Competition (2012)
  • National Winner – National Children Science Congress (2003, DST, GoI)
  • Technion-GTIIT Post-Doctoral Fellowship (with faculty offer)
  • Year-End Lump Sum Award 2025 – Loughborough University

Selected Publications

  1. Statistical investigation of combustion and emission characteristics of biofuels, Fuel Journal, 2024, Vol 358 B, DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.130242 (IF 8.857, Q1)
  2. Combustion characteristics of acetone-butanol-ethanol/Jet A-1 mixture, Fuel Journal, 2023, DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2023.127610 (IF 8.035, Q1)
  3. Butyl butyrate and Jet A-1 blends: Combustion Performance in a Swirl Stabilized Burner, Biomass and Bioenergy, 2023, DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2022.106651 (IF 5.779, Q1)

Total: 11 SCI Journals | 13 Conferences | 1 Book Chapter

Professional Memberships

  • Royal Aeronautical Society (UK)
  • SAE India
  • Combustion Institute (Israeli Section)
  • Member – Rolls-Royce UTC in Combustion System Aerothermal Processes

Research Collaboration 

Active research collaborations with Loughborough University (UK), Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, and Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT).