Zulfaa received his BE, MS, and PhD degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Minnesota, USA, with postdoctoral experiences at the University of Manchester, UK. At the Universiti Sains Malaysia, his current research interest is on the numerical simulations and experimental investigations of vertical-axis turbines, collaborating with a team of researchers (lecturers and postgraduate students) on similar/related topics.
The long-term aim of this work is to help rural and remote communities to have access to renewable, sustainable and cheaper energy, through the use of hydrokinetic turbines immersed in river streams. Such technology also has wider applications worldwide, either for small river-based applications or larger tidal-based applications. (MSc and PhD research projects in related topics are available for postgraduate students: those who are interested can contact him through his email below).
Prior to the current projects on hydrokinetic turbines, he has worked on various projects, ranging from software development for outcomes assessment in Outcome-Based Education (OBE), outreach projects to promote STEM education, industry-based projects in Manchester (heavy vehicle aerodynamics and aircraft noise prediction), and PIV experiments on multiphase droplet dynamics in Minnesota. His software on OBE assessment is suitable for tertiary educational institutions implementing detailed OBE assessments and is currently being used at a number of university departments. It is released as a free software which can be downloaded at www.obesoftware.org, complete with detailed documentations in the form of software manuals and academic papers.
Aside from research, he holds an administrative post as the Deputy Dean of Academic at the School, chairs the Committee for Promotion (Outreach) at the USM Engineering Campus, and currently teaches upper-level courses on Flight Performance and High Speed Aerodynamics. Some of his lecture videos are available online at his ZMK Channel on YouTube.
Contact:
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: +604-599 5918
Room: 2.35