Dr.(Mrs.)M.Premalatha

Dr. M. Premalatha

Email: hoddee@nitt.edu, latha@nitt.edu

Biography

Dr. M. Premalatha is currently working as a Professor in the Department of Energy & Environment, NIT, Trichy. She has more than fifteen years of academic and research experience. Her area of research includes Energy audit, Energy efficiency, algae CO 2 sequestration, algae wastewater treatment, biomass and bioenergy. She is serving as a distinguished author for many high impact research articles, reviews, book and book chapters. She has been loaded with many responsibilities in the department and rendering consultancy services for various educational institution and industry. She is the recipient of many research funding from Government and Private Bodies and has immensely contributed for the establishment of new research and academic laboratories for the Department of Energy & Environment. Besides her academic position and research, she is also serving as a doctoral and academic council member for many Institutes. She is a certified Energy Auditor and Quality Manager.

Academic Qualifications

Degree Board / University Discipline/Specialization Year of Passing
Ph.D. REC Trichy Solar Water Heating System 2005
M.Tech. REC Trichy Energy Engineering 1994
B.Tech. REC Trichy Chemical Engineering 1991

Professional Experience

Organization Designation From To
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Professor 16/01/2018 Till Date
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Associate Professor 02/08/2008 16/01/2018
National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli Assistant Professor 02/08/2005 01/08/2008
Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirappalli Lecturer 29/01/1996 01/08/2005
Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirappalli Research Assistant 05/11/1993 28/01/1996
Trichy Distilleries and Chemicals Ltd., Trichy Company Apprentice 02/07/1992 30/07/1993

Academic Achievements

Visit Abroad for Training

Training in UK:

  • “Heat Pipes and Heat pumps”, The Energy group, Department of Engineering at The University of reading, 20 th April- 29 th May 1998, UK.
  • “Photovoltaic Systems Course in Building Integrated PV systems stand-alone PV systems”, The Energy Groups, Department of engineering at The University of reading, UK, 21 st -22 nd May 1998.
  • “Training of IR thermal imaging, data loggers and Energy Management”, Energy Design advise scheme (EDAS), Sheffield University, UK, 1 st -25 th February 1998.
  • “Construction of hospital waste incineration and hybrid Energy system”, Innovative Technology group, De Mont Fort University, Lincoln, School of Agriculture and Horticulture, UK, 1 st -5 th June 1998.
  • “Energy Audit for buildings” in buildings research Establishment, Garston-March 1998.
  • “Energy audit for buildings” in University of Salford, Salford, January, June 1998.


Activities carried out in UK:

  • Energy Audit for newton building in University of Salford, Salford.
  • Energy Audit for royal Manchester children’s Hospital, Manchester.
  • Calibration of hot chamber and air-conditioning chamber, Energy Design Advice Scheme (EDAS), University of Sheffield, Sheffield.
  • Heat pipe t forced and natural convection conditions, University of reading, Reading.
  • Effects of feed size on biogas production by anerobic digestion process, innovative technology group, De Mont Fort University, Lincoln.

Professional Qualifications

  • Certified ISO 9001:2008 (LA2/15/IN/52484) by quality management system auditor/lead auditor training course.
  • Certified ISO/IEC 17025:2005 & NABL requirements (STQC/TRG P/ETDC BG/LMS/2016 17/JAN/01) by Laboratory management system & Internal Audit.
  • IRCA Certified ISO 9001:2015 as Quality manager for NABL Accreditation by auditor transition training course (TCQS/16/IN/1555).

Professional Achievements

  • Guide for prestigious Prime Minister’s Fellowship Scheme for doctoral research awarded in 2013 and MOA has been signed between CII, DST, and NIT Trichy.
  • Invited as expert for the meet on opinion about central government financial budget allocated for alternative energy sources- solar energy in the month of July 2014 and telecasted by Pudhiya Thalamurai TV.
  • Invited as expert for the meet on CO 2 mitigation using microalgae at Vishwavidhalaya, Bhopal.
  • Presented view on need of alternative energy and TN Government, Solar policy 2012-14 telecasted by Pudhiya Thalamurai TV.
  • Presented two concept notes on “Microalgae growth” in Two days brainstorming session on “Recent trends in CO 2 capture and sequestration”, on 15-16 th September 2011 at National Environmental Engineering Research Institution (NEERI), Nagpur.
  • Suggestion was invited by DST, for utilization of visible spectrum of sunlight for conversion of CO 2 to CO and a report was submitted.
  • Suggestion was invited by DST for implementation of pilot plant for carbon capture and sequestration at a thermal power station in India. A report analyzing both the plus and minus has been submitted.

Areas of Interest

  • Energy audit
  • Energy efficiency
  • CO 2 sequestration
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Bioremediation
  • Algae Research
  • Biomass and Bioenergy

Selected Publications

  • MA Balu, K Rao, C Naveen, M Premalatha: “Effect of orientation on the yield of low-cost solar stills with coco peat and charcoal as an absorber material”, Desalination and Water Treatment, 156, 126-135, 2019 DOI: 10.5004/dwt.2019.23555
  • R Elankovan, M Premalatha: “Utilization of unfiltered LPG-burner exhaust-gas emission using microalga Coelastrella sp.”, Journal of CO 2 Utilization, 29, 283-295, 2019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2018.12.020
  • EM Nithiya, F Fenila, KK Vasumathi, M Premalatha: “Cultivation of scenedesmus sp. using optimized minimal nutrients and flocculants – a potential platform for mass cultivation”, Environmental Technology, 1-14, 2018 DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2018.1531939
  • MA Balu, DV Rao, K Siva Krishna, M Premalatha: “Performance analysis of biomass- based absorber solar still through ANN and MLR approach”, Desalination and Water Treatment, 127, 262-271, 2018 DOI: 10.5004/dwt.2018.22759
  • D. V. Siva Krishna Rao K, M Premalatha, C. Naveen: “Analysis of different combinations of meteorological parameters in predicting the horizontal global solar radiation with ANN approach: A case study”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 91, 248-258, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.03.096
  • D. V. Siva Krishna Rao K, M Premalatha, C. Naveen: “Models for forecasting monthly mean daily global solar radiation from in-situ measurements: Application in Tropical Climate, India”, Urban Climate, 24, 921-939, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2017.11.004
  • GS Narayanan, S Seepana, R Elankovan, S Arumugan, M Premalatha: “Isolation, identification and outdoor cultivation of thermophilic freshwater microalgae Coelastrella sp. FI69 in bubble column reactor for the application of biofuel production”, Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 14, 357-365, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcab.2018.03.022
  • K Sankaran, M Premalatha: “Nutrients uptake from anaerobically digested distillery wastewater by Spirulina sp. under xenon lamp illumination”, Journal of Water Process Engineering, 25, 295-300, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.jwpe.2018.08.014
  • KDV Siva Krishna Rao, M Premalatha, C Naveen: “Method and strategy for predicting daily global solar radiation using one and two input variables for Indian stations”, Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 10 (1), 013701, 2018 DOI: 10.1063/1.4995035
  • G Shanthi, M Premalatha, N Anantharaman: “Effects of l-amino acids as organic nitrogen source on the growth rate, biochemical composition and polyphenol content of Spirulina platensis”, Algal Research, 35, 471-478, 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2018.09.014
  • MA Balu, M Premalatha: “Investigation of charcoal, coco peat and black sponge as absorber materials on the performance enhancement of low cost solar still”, Desalination and Water Treatment, 116, 57-66, 2018 DOI: 10.5004/dwt.2018.22561
  • S Krishnamoorthy, M Premalatha, M Vijayasekaran: “Characterization of distillery wastewater–An approach to retrofit existing effluent treatment plant operation with phycoremediation”, Journal of cleaner production, 148, 735-750, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.02.045
  • EM Nithiya, J Tamilmani, KK Vasumathi, M Premalatha: “Improved CO 2 fixation with Oscillatoria sp. in response to various supply frequencies of CO 2 supply”, Journal of CO 2 Utilization, 18, 198-205, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcou.2017.01.025
  • RK Moorthy, M Premalatha, M Arumugam: “Batch sedimentation studies for freshwater green alga scenedesmus abundans using combination of flocculants”, Frontiers in Chemistry, 5, 37, 2017 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00037
  • R Pandey, M Premalatha: “Design and analysis of flow velocity distribution inside a raceway pond using computational fluid dynamics”, Bioprocess and biosystems engineering, 40 (3), 439-450, 2017 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-016-1712-8
  • KK Vasumathi, EM Nithiya, R Pandey, M Premalatha: “Studies on the effect of wind speed on loss of carbon dioxide during bio sequestration”, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 42 (42), 26555-26562, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.07.083
  • LMA Kumar, V Sivaramakrishnan, M Premalatha, M Vivekanandan: “Experimental and simulation studies on the effect of suction opening orientation on solar vertical chimney”, International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 36 (6), 592-605, 2017 DOI: 10.1080/14786451.2015.1073732
  • C Naveen, M Premalatha: “Impact of blend ratio on the co-firing of post-methanated distillery effluent solid waste and low-rank Indian coal via analysis of oxidation kinetics through TGA”, RSC Advances, 6 (31), 26121-26129, 2016 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA25065J
  • SS Priya, M Premalatha, I Thirunavukkarasu: “Indoor air quality optimization by thermal displacement air-conditioning methods”, Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 9 (36), 100984, 2016 DOI: 10.17485/ijst/2016/v9i36/100984

Membership in Professional Bodies

  • Life Member - Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) - (LM-31321)
  • Member - Institution of Engineers (M-137819-2)
  • Life Member - RENET
  • Life Member - Solar Energy Society of India (LM/1596/2011)
  • Ordinary Member - International Society of Applied Phycology
  • Silver membership - International Solar Energy Society (1110053)

Awards and Honors

  • Received honor from ‘The Hindu’ through narrating my biography as an International Women’s day special article in the name of ‘Science of clean energy’ in its Trichy Edition on March 8, 2014 with special mention on research activity being carried out at CEESAT, NITT.
  • Received a best paper award for paper titled “Design of solar heat sheet for air heater” in 2 nd International Conference on Methods and models in Science and technology, organized by institution of Engineers, Technocrat and academician network, November 19-20, 2011, Jaipur, India.
  • Review article on “Parameters influencing the design of photo-bioreactor for the growth of microalgae”, published in Renewable and Sustainable energy reviews (IF. 5.70) is referred in book title “Biodiesel – Feedstocks, Production and applications”.
  • Review article on “A review of gasification of biomass”, published in renewable and sustainable energy reviews (IF: 5.70), cited by 98 researchers.
  • Invited speaker for UK-India Scientific Seminar conducted in Kolkata.

 

 

 

 

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Contact

Dr. M. Premalatha
Professor
Department of Energy and Environment
National Institute of Technology
Tiruchirappalli - 620015
Tamil Nadu, India
Email: latha@nitt.edu
Office Telephone: +91-431-2503135