Dr Carolina Font Palma

Dr Carolina Font Palma

Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering

C.Font-Palma@hull.ac.uk

Faculty and Department

  • Faculty of Science and Engineering
  • School of Engineering

Related groups

  • Mechanical Engineering

Qualifications

  • BEng (National Autonomous University of Mexico)
  • MSc (University of Toronto)
  • PhD / DPhil (University of Manchester)

Summary

Dr Font Palma is Senior Lecturer and joined the School of Engineering in 2021 as lecturer. She was Programme Director of Chemical Engineering during 2022/23. She works on process simulation, process integration of energy systems, low-carbon energy and hydrogen, and cryogenic carbon capture.

She has a PhD in biomass gasification from the University of Manchester. She has been part of various consortia involving research on oxy-combustion, cryogenic carbon capture, gas turbines and exhaust gas recirculation, and methanol synthesis. She led the CO2-FROST project funded by the UKCCSRC Flexible funding 2020.

Carolina was awarded the prestigious RAEng/The Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship 2020/2021. She took a secondment in Uniper Hydrogen UK Ltd, funded by IDRIC. She is currently working with the Energy Systems Catapult through the Innovation Launchpad Network+. She has numerous publications on energy and carbon capture, and is a member of the UKRI Talent Peer Review College.

Recent outputs

View more outputs

Book Chapter

Steam reforming process for conversion of hydrocarbons to hydrogen

Udemu, C., & Font-Palma, C. (2024). Steam reforming process for conversion of hydrocarbons to hydrogen. In M. R. Rahimpour, M. A. Makarem, & P. Kiani (Eds.), Hydrogen Production from Nonrenewable Resources (33-72). CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003382263-5

Journal Article

Computational simulation of SE-SR of methane in a bench-scale circulating fluidised bed reactor: Insights into the effects of bed geometry design and catalyst-sorbent ratios

Udemu, C., & Font-Palma, C. (2024). Computational simulation of SE-SR of methane in a bench-scale circulating fluidised bed reactor: Insights into the effects of bed geometry design and catalyst-sorbent ratios. Fuel, 377, Article 132817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2024.132817

Woody biomass waste derivatives in decarbonised blast furnace ironmaking process

Wang, R. Q., Jiang, L., Wang, Y. D., Font-Palma, C., Skoulou, V., & Roskilly, A. P. (2024). Woody biomass waste derivatives in decarbonised blast furnace ironmaking process. Renewable & sustainable energy reviews, 199, Article 114465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2024.114465

Vicky Skoulou

Potential cost savings of large-scale blue hydrogen production via sorption-enhanced steam reforming process

Udemu, C., & Font-Palma, C. (2024). Potential cost savings of large-scale blue hydrogen production via sorption-enhanced steam reforming process. Energy Conversion and Management, 302, Article 118132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2024.118132

Presentation / Conference Contribution

Knowledge exchange between academia and industry – Secondment in Uniper Hydrogen UK

Font Palma, C. (2024, November). Knowledge exchange between academia and industry – Secondment in Uniper Hydrogen UK. Presented at UKCCSRC Knowledge Exchange Conference, University of Sheffield

Research interests

◾ Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS): This includes applications for hard-to-abate industries. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS)

◾ Cryogenic carbon capture: novel process at low technology readiness level. Research has included proof of concept, techno-economic analysis and simulation studies.

◾ Low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production

◾ Modelling and process simulation: Including Process integration of energy systems. Software Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS.

Lead investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

Low-carbon hydrogen systems to reach net zero

Funder

UK Research and Innovation

Grant

£22,349.67

Started

1 December 2024

Status

Ongoing

Project

Hydrogen Production with Carbon Capture

Funder

Net Zero Research

Grant

£39,276.00

Started

1 February 2021

Status

Complete

Project

ICED: Integrated Cryogenic separation for CO2 Emissions Decrease

Funder

Royal Academy of Engineering

Grant

£63,789.02

Started

1 September 2020

Status

Complete

Project

HEIF: The Hydrogen case - Advanced Modelling tools for simulating multiphase systems

Funder

University of Hull

Grant

£3,500.00

Started

1 January 2022

Status

Complete

Project

Secondment in Industry

Funder

Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council

Grant

£29,385.00

Started

1 May 2023

Status

Complete

Co-investigator

Project

Funder

Grant

Started

Status

Project

Investigation of feasible routes for clean ammonia production

Funder

Net Zero Research

Grant

£40,000.00

Started

31 January 2022

Status

Ongoing

Project

Wolfson Equipment bid 2023 - Confocal Imaging ZEISS Elyra 7 with Lattice SIM²

Funder

Wolfson Foundation

Grant

£500,000.00

Started

1 October 2024

Status

Ongoing

Project

Bluegen - Utilisation of biorefinery residues for blue hydrogen production

Funder

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy

Grant

£63,759.80

Started

1 June 2022

Status

Complete

Project

Towards the use of CO2 and heat from steel industry emissions to prepare new materials

Funder

Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council

Grant

£50,000.00

Started

1 January 2023

Status

Complete

Postgraduate supervision

◾ Current PhD supervision:

Matthew Lovelady (2023 - 2026): Selection of hydrogen production and storage options according to industrial application, funded by University of Hull PhD Cluster Scholarships Scheme 2023/24

◾ Past PhD students:

1. David Cann (2017 - 2021): Experimental exploration of cryogenic CO2 capture utilising a moving bed, at University of Chester, sponsored by ERDF Eco-Innovation and PMW Technology. Now Process engineer at Wood.

2. Chinonyelum Udemu (2021 - 2024): Modelling and scale-up studies of sorption-enhanced steam reforming (SE-SR) of methane for blue hydrogen production, funded by Net Zero Research (formerly Biomass and Fossil Fuels Research Alliance (BF2RA))

◾ PhD co-supervision:

Reace Edwards (2018 - 2023): Exploring the Acceleration of Sustainability Transitions: The Case of the North West UK’s Hydrogen Agenda, at University of Chester, sponsored by Costain. Now Business Modelling Consultant at Energy Systems Catapult.

◾ Supervision of Researchers/Fellows:

Dec 2024 – Oct 2025 Dr Chinonyelum Udemu as Teaching Assistant

Sept 2021 – Dec 2022 Dr David Cann as Teaching Fellow

◾ Current opportunities:

If you would like to know more about PhD project opportunities, feel free to contact me.

◾ PhD Cluster in Hydrogen production, storage and its applications:

https://www.hull.ac.uk/work-with-us/research/groups/development-of-innovative-hydrogen-production-and-storage-technologies-for-a-net-zero-emission-society

Awards and prizes

Outstanding contribution to research 2022/23

2023

Committee/Steering group role

Advisory Council member of the UKCCSRC

2021

Advisory Council member of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC)

Committee member and Treasurer of the SIG Clean Energy Specialist (IChemE)

2020

Committee member and Treasurer of the Clean Energy Specialist Interest Group from the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)

Conference organisation

3rd FERIA Organising Committee Conference Member - Publicity Officer

2024 - 2025

European Conference on Fuel and Energy Research and Its Applications (FERIA). Dates: 10th to Friday 12th September 2025

Yorkshire Innovation in Science and Engineering Conference (YISEC) 2025

2024 - 2025

Yorkshire Innovation in Science and Engineering Conference (YISEC 2023)

2022 - 2023

The Yorkshire Innovation in Science and Engineering Conference (YISEC) aims to provide postgraduate students with a cross-functional platform to address critical issues and innovative solutions through practical discussions. A strong consortium of Yorkshire Universities will be organising the conference. The consortium comprises four institutions: University of Bradford, University of Hull, University of York and University of Huddersfield.

Honorary position

Visiting Lecturer to Energy 2050 group

2015 - 2018

Journal editorial role

Editorial board member

2022

Editorial board member of Revista Internacional de Contaminacion Ambiental - UNAM

Associate Editor

2013 - 2021

Associate Editor of Revista Internacional de Contaminacion Ambiental - UNAM

Membership/Fellowship of professional body

Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

2016

Associate member of IChemE

2012

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