Amir M. Niroumand, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Research Associate, Department of Chemistry, SFU
Research Associate, Centre for Sustainable Development, SFU
Founder, Abundance Community Farm
Education
Ph.D., Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, 2009
M.Sc., Northeastern University, Boston, 2002
B.Sc., Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, 1996
Research Interests
- Diagnostic & control of electrochemical systems
- Fuel cell system design & optimization
- Manufacturing & automation
Biography
Dr. Amir Niroumand’s primary research area is in fuel cell systems, where he leads cutting edge R&D programs between academia and industry. He is currently a Research Associate at the Department of Chemistry at SFU, leading the development of Intelligent Fuel Cell Diagnostics in collaboration with Greenlight Innovation, University of British Columbia, and Jülich Research Centre in Germany. From 2011 to 2013, he led a research team at the School of Mechatronic Systems Engineering at SFU to design next generation fuel cell bus diagnostic and control systems in collaboration with University of Victoria and Ballard Power Systems. He was a Visiting Researcher at University of British Columbia-Clean Energy Research Centre (UBC-CERC) from 2006 to 2009, and at National Research Council-Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation (NRC-IFCI) in 2005.
Dr. Niroumand is recognized as a social entrepreneur with a primary interest in how changing cultural values and norms could accelerate the transition to a sustainable society. In 2016, he founded Abundance Community Farm in Agassiz, BC, as a social experiment in creating a community culture that thrives in harmony with nature. The farm operates based on a novel Community Agriculture (CA) model that leverages the interdependence between regenerative agriculture, community development, and the healing arts. The CA model has gained a lot of interest in both urban and farming communities, and was recently featured on the cover of BC’s main agriculture magazine, Country Life in BC.
Patents
A. Niroumand, M. Eikerling, H. Homayouni, M. Olfert, "Methods and Apparatus for Detecting Electrical Short Circuits in Fuel Cell Stacks", US Patent App 16/381522, 2019.
A. Niroumand, M. Eikerling, M. Olfert, M. Safiollah, "Systems and Methods for Acquisition, Parametrization, and Validation of Fuel Cell Polarization Data", US Patent No: US 2017/0005350 A1, 2017.
A. Niroumand, “Fuel Cell Separator Plate with Integrated Heat Exchanger”, US Patent No: US 2010/0040924 A1, 2010.
Publications
D. Witt, H. Homayouni, M. Olfert. M. Eikerling, A. M. Niroumand, "Extracting PEFC Electrochemical Properties from Current Interrupt Measurement", manuscript in preperation.
A. M. Niroumand, D. Witt, H. Homayouni, M. Safiollah, M. Olfert, M Eikerling "Model-based Closed-form Solution for PEFC Polarization", manuscript in preperation.
Q. Zhang, H. Homayouni, B. Gates, M. Eikerling, A. M. Niroumand, "Electrochemical Pressure Impedance Spectroscopy for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells via Back-Pressure Control", Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 169(4), 044510, 2022.
A. M. Niroumand, H. Homayouni, G. Gorranson, M. Olfert, M. Eikerling, "In-Situ Diagnostic Tools for Hydrogen Transfer Leak Characterization in PEM Fuel Cell Stacks Part III: Manufacturing Applications", Journal of Power Sources, 448, 2020.
A. M. Niroumand, H. Homayouni, J. DeVaal, F. Golnaraghi, E. Kjeang "In-Situ Diagnostic Tools for Hydrogen Transfer Leak Characterization in PEM Fuel Cell Stacks Part II: Operational Applications", Journal of Power Sources, 322, 147-154, 2016.
A. M. Niroumand, O. Pooyanfar, N. Macauley, J. DeVaal, F. Golnaraghi, "In-Situ Diagnostic Tools for Hydrogen Transfer Leak Characterization in PEM Fuel Cell Stacks Part I: R&D Applications", Journal of Power Sources, 278, 652-659, 2015.
A. M. Niroumand, W. Merida, M. Saif, “PEM Fuel Cell Low Flow FDI”, Journal of Process Control, 21, 602-612, 2011.
A. M. Niroumand and M. Saif, “Two-Phase Flow Measurement System for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells”, Journal of Power Sources, 195(10), 3250-3255, 2010.
A. M. Niroumand, M. Saif, “Challenges and Opportunities in PEM Fuel Cell Systems", Integrated Systems, Design, and Technology, 171-183, 2010.
A. M. Niroumand, W. Merida, M. Eikerling, M. Saif, “Pressure-Voltage Oscillations as a Diagnostic Tool for PEFC Cathodes”, Electrochemistry Communications, 12(1), 122-124, 2010.
Conferences
A. M. Niroumand, H. Homayouni, D. Witt, M. Olfert, M. Eikerling, “Modelling-based Portrait and Intelligent Diagnostic of PEFCs”, Gordon Research Conference, July 29 – August 3, 2018, Smithfield, USA.
A. M. Niroumand, H. Homayouni, G. Göransson, M. Olfert, M. Eikerling, “Electrochemical Detection of Electric Shorts in PEM Fuel Cell Stacks”, ModVal, April 12-13, 2018, Aarau, Switzerland.
A. Niroumand, “Growing a Sustainable Culture through Community Hobby Farming”, Building Sustainable Communities Conference, November 21-24, 2017, Kelowna, Canada.
A. M. Niroumand, M. Olfert, M. Eikerling, “Extracting PEFC Electrochemical Properties from Current Interrupt”, European Fuel Cell Forum, July 4-7, 2017, Lucerne, Switzerland.
A. M. Niroumand, M. Olfert, M. Eikerling, “Reliable Assessment of PEFC Polarization Data in Real time”, ModVal, March 22-23, 2016, Lausanne, Switzerland.
A. M. Niroumand, M. Olfert, M. Eikerling, “Closed Form Solution for PEM Fuel Cell Polarization Parameters”, Fuel Cell Seminar, Nov 17-19, 2015, Los Angeles, USA.
A. M. Niroumand, M. Olfert, M. Eikerling, ”In-situ Diagnostic Tools for Characterization of Pinholes in PEM Fuel Cell Stacks”, European Fuel Cell Forum, June 30 – July 3, 2015, Lucerne, Switzerland.
A. M. Niroumand, “Challenges and Opportunities in Creating an Iranian Fuel Cell industry”, Keynote Speaker at Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Conference, May 3-4, 2012, Tehran, Iran.
A. M. Niroumand, “PEM Fuel Cell Diagnostics”, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Conference, May 3-4, 2012, Tehran, Iran.
A. M. Niroumand, W. Merida, M. Saif, “Detection and Isolation of PEM Fuel Cell Low Flow Induced Faults”, IASTED International Conference on Identification, Control and Applications, August 17-19, 2009, Honolulu, USA.
A. M. Niroumand, D. H. Brooks, B. Shafai, “Diffuse Optical Tomography using a Linear Matrix Inequality Algorithm in an Admissible Solution Approach”, International Conference on Image Processing, September 14-17,2003, pp 577-580, Barcelona, Spain.
News
Creating Community in Abundance, Country life in BC, September 2020.
Agassiz Farm Boasts an Abundance of Community, Agassiz-Harrison Observer, April 2019.
Tests Lead to Doubling of Fuel Cell Life, T-Net, May 2013.
