UCSI e-News - Working at UCSIU

Harnessing the Sun for a Better Future

Ammar Abdul Aziz Al-Talib might seem an ordinary man to you, but you will be surprised to discover that he is anything but ordinary.

Ammar was born on 27th June 1960 in Mosul, Iraq and is a Sunni. Pure Arab by descent, he is proud of his heritage and the country that he came from. Ammar is married to May, who, like him, is also an Arab. Together, they have four children: daughters Sidra (13 years old) and Sara (11) and two sons, Ibrahim (nine) and Hasan (three), all of whom are the ‘apples of his eyes’. Three of his children are attending an Iraqi School which is located within the compound of the Iraqi Embassy in Malaysia.

Ammar loves Malaysia and finds the people warm. When he first reached Malaysian soil in 2001, Ammar’s mission was to pursue his doctorate studies. Leaving war-torn Iraq behind, he found peace to embark on his research at Universiti Putra Malaysia in Serdang. In May 2001, he secured a teaching post at UCSI University.

His family joined him later; Ammar proudly declares that his son Hassan was born in Malaysia. He calls Malaysia his second home, and finds the country as well as the people beautiful in nature. However he finds most Malaysian food too spicy and hot, and is not accustomed to it. It is lucky, then, that there are places in Malaysia which cater to the Arab palette. At other times, his wife cooks gastronomic culinary delights which remind him of home.

Innovative and Inventive Mind

Ammar holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, both degrees obtained from the University of Mosul, Iraq. He has submitted his Ph.D. thesis on Solar Energy to UPM and has published a number of research papers in the field of thermo-fluids and solar energy. In March 2006, he won the Golden Medal at the Research, Innovation & Commercialisation Exhibition, 16 – 17 March 2006, held at UPM. During his work as a university staff member, he has published and presented many papers in local and international journals and at conferences here and abroad.

His vast experience as a consulting engineer at the Engineering Consulting Bureau at the University of Mosul and as a training engineer with many known companies, such as Mercedes Benz, FAUN and HAUSAN from Germany, and also STYER from Austria, and BENHARD from Brazil, has helped him in widening his scope and experience in life. His current position as a Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering at UCSIU also draws from his past experiences and adds new knowledge in his field. He feels that he has grown a lot since 2001 and is grateful for the opportunity to be teaching here at UCSIU. He aspires to be a great lecturer, taking inspiration from his own father and siblings, who are all academicians.

As mentioned above, Ammar has recently submitted his Ph.D. research on thermo-fluid solar energy to UPM. He has also sent a paper entitled ‘An Economical Analysis for a Stratified Solar Water Heater with a Triangular Shape’ to UCSI University’s Journal for the Advancement of Science & Arts (JASA 4). This is part of a series of papers that he has submitted to JASA, as his previous article entitled ‘Installation of the Stratified Integrated Solar Water Heater of the Triangular Shape (SISWHT) on a Pitch Roof was published in the JASA, Volume 3, July 2007. He has also successfully published numerous papers which were extracted from his doctorate research.

The abstract for his research explains a Malaysian-made solar water heater that was designed and fabricated with the use of local materials and labour. The revolutionary and innovatively-designed “Stratified Integrated Solar Water Heater with a Triangular Shape: SISWHT” was tested under different operating conditions in the Solar Park at University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) in Bangi. It overcame the problem of night cooling faced by the other types of solar water heaters. Ammar has also made an economic analysis study that substantiated the claims that the newly-designed system is above other commonly-used electrical water-heaters in terms of performance, ease of use, and economical value.

According advantage to Ammar, there are two major types of Solar Energy systems: one that uses photovoltaic cells (PV) and another that users thermal collectors. His research deals with thermo-fluids that heat up fluids as opposed to the solar cell which converts light into direct current.

In thermo-fluid circulation systems, the circulation of the water is by means of natural convection which results from the difference in water density, due to the difference in temperature in different parts of the system. Hot water also rises above cooler water; at night, the extra height and additional stratification tank features of the SISWHT will sustain the heat and circulate it throughout the structure, thus making hot water available at all times. This is indeed advantageous over the existing Solar Water Heaters that are currently in the market.

Another plus to Ammar’s invention is the design and installation of the Solar Water Heater – SISWHT are simple, as it is easy to assemble. The components are economical, easily available and operate at a minimal cost. The system is also portable, making installation a breeze.

Ammar’s research is very viable in terms of major developments and awareness towards Greening initiatives and endeavours, and in the face of climatic change and financial upheaval due to over-dependency on fossil fuel and conventional forms of energy. His initiative is in tandem with UCSI University’s Greening Policy, which is committed to building sustainable development for a better future.

Ammar’s research comes at a time where reliance on petroleum and non-renewable energy is being reviewed and re-thought of. In the face of a bleak world economy and drastic climatic changes due to human intervention, Ammar’s invention to harness the energy of the sun is timely. Research that concentrates on harnessing renewable forms of energy is in line with Malaysia’s Renewable Energy Policy, following recent trends that skew towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

References:

Ammar A. Al-Talib, Zaiton Binti Moktar, Megat. M. Hamdan, K. Sopian, ‘Installation of the Stratified Integrated Solar Water Heater of the Triangular Shape (SISWHT) on a Pitch Roof’ in Journal for Advancement of Science & Arts (JASA Volume 3: 25 - 28, July 2007), UCSI University. PP14701/10/2007
Ammar A.M Al-Talib, Megat M. Hamdan, K. Sopian, Mahdi A, Wahab, ‘An Economical Analysis for a Stratified Integrated Solar Water Heater with a Triangular Shape’ (Unpublished), UPM – UCSI University, Malaysia