Rate My Professor Aleksej Lavrinec

Dr Aleksej Lavrinec is a Research Associate at the Centre for Bulk Solids and Particulate Technologies (CBSPT) in the School of Engineering, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, University of Newcastle, Australia. He began his academic journey at the University as a PhD student in April 2017, completing a Doctor of Philosophy in May 2021 with a thesis titled 'Modelling of Velocity and Porosity Within Horizontal Dense Phase Pneumatic Conveying Using an In-Situ Inertial Measurement Unit and CFD-DEM'. This research investigated dense phase pneumatic conveying dynamics using novel inertial measurement techniques and coupled CFD-DEM simulations, resulting in seven journal publications and five conference papers. Earlier, Lavrinec obtained an MEng degree in Structural Engineering with Architecture from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. While pursuing his doctorate, he worked as a research assistant at CBSPT on diverse projects in bulk solids handling, predominantly focusing on particulate matter and dustiness assessments. After submitting his thesis, he continued in research assistant roles before advancing to his current position, contributing to developments in low-cost particulate matter measurement, iron ore dewatering processes, and discrete element method (DEM) simulations to resolve ore handleability issues.

Lavrinec's research interests encompass air quality, bulk solids handling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), discrete element method (DEM), Internet of Things (IoT), and pneumatic conveying. His fields of research are classified under mechanical engineering not elsewhere classified. Notable publications include 'Boundaries of the unstable zone in horizontal slug flow pneumatic conveying' published in Chemical Engineering Science in 2025 (co-authored with O. Orozovic); 'A framework for modelling single slug horizontal pneumatic conveying' in Powder Technology in 2023 (with O. Orozovic, R. McCloy, M.H. Meylan); 'Individual slugs in a pneumatic conveyor of multiple slugs are likely unstable' in Chemical Engineering Science in 2022 (with O. Orozovic et al.); 'Inertial measurement unit as a tool within dense phase pneumatic conveying. Investigation into velocity measurement accuracy, pressure and velocity relationships in slug flow' in Powder Technology in 2021; and 'Velocity and porosity relationships within dense phase pneumatic conveying as studied using coupled CFD-DEM' in Powder Technology in 2020. Additional contributions include conference presentations at the 13th International Conference on Bulk Materials, Storage, Handling and Transportation (ICBMH 2019) and reports such as 'Evaluation of aerosol monitor performance' in 2020.