Ivan Simeonov | Anaerobic Digestion | Most Reader’s Article Award

Dr. Ivan Simeonov | Anaerobic Digestion | Most Reader’s Article Award

Retired scientist at Institut of microbiology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria.

Ivan Simeonov, PhD, Professor, is a highly experienced scientist specializing in bioautomatics and anaerobic digestion. He has made significant contributions in modeling, monitoring, and optimization of biotechnological processes, particularly in the anaerobic digestion of organic waste. With numerous international collaborations, he has worked across Europe, Asia, and Russia. He is a respected member of scientific societies, and his research has been widely published in leading journals. Simeonov continues to engage in cutting-edge research, with a focus on environmental biotechnology and renewable energy systems 🌍💡🌿. His work has earned him recognition both in Bulgaria and internationally 🏆🔬.

Professional Profile:

Scopus

ORCID

Suitability for Most Reader’s Article Award

Prof. Ivan Simeonov, PhD, is a highly accomplished researcher in bioautomatics and environmental biotechnology. His extensive contributions to anaerobic digestion, mathematical modeling, and process optimization have made a lasting impact on sustainable engineering and renewable energy. With 281 scientific papers and a global collaborative network spanning France, China, and Russia, his research has significantly advanced waste-to-energy technologies.

Education and Experience:

  • 1966: School 32 “Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia, Bulgaria 🎓
  • 1971: Technical University of Sofia, Electrical Faculty, Specialty Automatics ⚙️
  • 1971–1973: University of Paris VI and Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité, France 🇫🇷
  • 1981: PhD in Engineering (Automatics), Technical University of Sofia 🎓🔧
  • 1986-2020: Head of Research Group at the Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology 🧪
  • 2012-2016: Deputy Director, Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology 🌍
  • International collaborations in Russia, Ukraine, China, France, and Finland 🌍

Professional Development 

Ivan Simeonov’s professional development spans decades of international collaboration and scientific advancement. Over the years, he has honed his expertise through numerous guest professorships and research positions, including in France, Russia, and China. Simeonov’s work has significantly contributed to the fields of anaerobic digestion and bioautomatics, with a focus on sustainable energy and waste management technologies 🌱. His involvement in projects funded by the European Space Agency and Bulgarian National Science Fund showcases his expertise and leadership in the research community 🌌. His role as an invited researcher and professor across global institutions highlights his ongoing commitment to scientific innovation ✨📚.

Research Focus 

Professor Simeonov’s research focuses on environmental biotechnology, renewable energy, and anaerobic digestion systems. His expertise lies in the mathematical modeling, monitoring, and optimization of biotechnological processes, especially in the degradation of organic waste for energy production 🔋🌿. He is dedicated to advancing the understanding of two-stage anaerobic digestion, producing methane and hydrogen from agricultural and lignocellulosic waste. Through his international collaborations, he works on the development of intelligent control systems and optimal technologies that enhance the efficiency of biogas production, contributing significantly to sustainable energy solutions 🌍. His work is crucial to achieving eco-friendly waste management practices 🌱.

Awards and Honors:

  • President, NGO “Ecological Engineering and Environment Protection” 🌍
  • Member of the governing body, “John Atanasoff” Society of Automatics and Informatics 📚
  • Member, Technical Committee of IFAC TC 8.4 Biosystems and Bioprocesses 🏆
  • 531 citations (Scopus), h-index: 13 📈
  • Scientific collaborator in projects funded by the Bulgarian National Science Fund and European Space Agency 🚀

Publication Top Notes

  1. Title: Two-Stage Anaerobic Digestion for Green Energy Production: A Review

    • Authors: I.S. Simeonov, E.I. Chorukova, L.V. Kabaivanova
    • Year: 2025
  2. Title: A volatile fatty acids adaptive observer-based hierarchical optimal controller design to maximum gas production of two-stage anaerobic digestion process

    • Authors: H. Li, Y. Tian, H. Wang, I.S. Simeonov, N.D. Christov
    • Year: 2024
    • Citations: 1
  3. Title: Trajectory tracking of two-stage anaerobic digestion process: A predictive control with guaranteed performance and saturated input, based on ultra-local model

    • Authors: D. He, H. Wang, Y. Tian, N.D. Christov, I.S. Simeonov
    • Year: 2023
    • Citations: 6
  4. Title: Special Issue “Modelling and Optimal Design of Complex Biological Systems”

    • Authors: J. Harmand, A.E. Rapaport, N.S. Dimitrova, I.S. Simeonov
    • Year: 2023
  5. Title: Newton-Based Extremum Seeking for Dynamic Systems Using Kalman Filtering: Application to Anaerobic Digestion Process Control

    • Authors: Y. Tian, N. Pan, M. Hu, L.V. Kabaivanova, N.D. Christov
    • Year: 2023
    • Citations: 4

Muthukumaran Balakrishnan | Renewable | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Muthukumaran Balakrishnan | Renewable | Best Researcher Award

Associate Professor, Presidency College (Autonomous), India

Dr. B. Muthukumaran is an accomplished Associate Professor at Presidency College, Chennai, with over 30 years of experience in chemistry research and teaching. He has supervised numerous PhD and MPhil candidates and holds several prestigious academic positions, including being a member of the University of Madras Senate and Dean of Science. Dr. Muthukumaran has received multiple awards for his teaching excellence and contributions to research.

Profile

Google Scholar

🎓 Education:

Dr. Muthukumaran earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Annamalai University in 1995. Prior to that, he completed his M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Chemistry from Bharathidasan University in 1990 and 1988, respectively.

👨‍🏫 Experience:

With a teaching experience spanning 27 years across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, Dr. Muthukumaran has dedicated three decades to research, focusing extensively on catalysis and fuel cell technologies. He has successfully completed several research projects funded by DST, UGC, and TANSCHE, showcasing his expertise in electrochemical processes and catalytic materials.

🔬 Research Interests:

Dr. Muthukumaran’s research interests include membraneless fuel cells, electrochemical catalysis, and advanced materials for energy applications. His current projects explore major funding areas like DST-SERB-SURE, aiming to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of energy conversion devices.

🏆 Awards:

Dr. Muthukumaran has been recognized with the Dr. Radhakrishnan Teaching Excellence Award in 2018 and a Teaching Excellence Award in 2022 for his outstanding contributions to academia and research leadership.

📚 Publications Top Notes:

Dr. Muthukumaran has authored over 54 research articles published in Scopus-indexed international journals, with notable contributions in electrochemistry, catalysis, and energy materials. His works have garnered 268 citations, reflecting their impact and relevance in the scientific community.

 

Synergistic nanocomposite polymer electrolytes for advanced all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2024. (I.F – 8.1)

Enhanced ethylene glycol oxidation in membraneless fuel cells: Comparative analysis of nickel alloy nanocatalysts, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2024. (I.F – 8.1)

Lithium perborate‑based composite polymer electrolytes for all‑solid‑state lithium‑ion batteries: performance enhancement and stability, Ionics, 2024. (I.F – 2.8)

Crafting high-performance polymer-integrated solid electrolyte for solid state sodium ion batteries, Energy Storage, 2024. (I.F – 3.4)

Membraneless ethanol fuel cell Pt–Sn–Re nano active catalyst on a mesoporous carbon support, RSC Advances, 2024. (I.F – 4.0)

Enhanced membraneless fuel cells by electrooxidation of ethylene glycol with a nanostructured cobalt metal catalyst, Environmental Research, 2023. (I.F – 8.4)

Evaluation of iron-based alloy nanocatalysts for the electrooxidation of ethylene glycol in membraneless fuel cells, Fuel, 2022. (I.F – 6.6)

Enhanced electrochemical performance of Pt-Sn-In/C nanoparticles for membraneless fuel cells, Chemical Papers, 2021. (I.F – 2.1)

Optimizing parameters for remediating Cr(VI) contaminated groundwater using electrocoagulation process, Asian Journal of Chemistry, 2021. (I.F – 4.8)