Dr N Stacey

Qualifications

• BSc Chemical Engineering (2009), University of the Witwatersrand
• PhD Chemical Engineering (2016), University of the Witwatersrand

Currently teaching

Dr Stacey is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for the Development of Energy for African Sustainability. He supervises or co-supervises students in the Separations, Gasification and Process Synthesis research groups.

Fields of academic interests

Neil Stacey received his PhD from Wits University in 2016 and is using it to grudgingly prevent humankind’s extinction. Initially working in the field of membrane separations, he has made breakthroughs in diverse areas of research including energy-efficient bio-ethanol production, water and energy efficiency in agriculture, and the development of novel process pathways utilizing alternative energy materials. Neil was named as one of the Mail and Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans in 2018, where he was described as having made ‘remarkable strides in solving some of mankind’s biggest problems.’

Field of Specialisation

• Membrane separations
• Process synthesis
• Gasification
• Greenhouse modifications

Journal articles

• ‘Synthesis of two-membrane permeation processes using Membrane Residue Curve Maps’; Neil Stacey, Mark Peters, Diane Hildebrandt, David Glasser; Ind Eng Chem Res, 2013; https://doi.org/10.1021/ie4013776
• ‘Gasoline pre-blending for energy-efficient bioethanol recovery’; Neil Stacey, Aristoklis Hadjitheodorou, David Glasser; Energy and Fuels, 2016; http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01591
• ‘Shortcut Node Classification for Membrane Residue Curve Maps’; Neil Stacey, Diane Hildebrandt, David Glasser, Mark Peters; Journal of Membrane Science and Research, 2017; http://www.msrjournal.com/article_21846.html
• ‘Quantitative modeling of a greenhouse as a bioreactor to process power station emissions’; Neil Stacey, Diane Hildebrandt; Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy, 2018; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ep.12824
• ‘Reduction in greenhouse water usage through inlet CO2 enrichment’; Neil Stacey, James Fox, Diane Hildebrandt; AICHE Journal, 2018; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aic.16120
• ‘A direct gasoline pre-blending of bioalcohol mixtures as a means of decreasing separation energy losses’; Kudakwashe Ndlovu, Neil Stacey, Maria J. Fernandez-Torres; Biofuels, 2019; https://doi.org/10.1080/17597269.2018.1546487
• ‘Process targeting: An energy based comparison of waste plastic processing technologies’; James Fox, Neil Stacey; Energy, 2019; http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544218325362
• ‘Gasoline pre-blending processes for efficient ethanol recovery: effects of process parameters and process modifications for improved performance’; Neil Stacey, Maria J. Fernandez-Torres, David Glasser; Biofuels, 2019; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17597269.2019.1573607

Paper presentations

• Energy efficient bio-ethanol recovery by petrol pre-blending; Neil Stacey, Aristoklis Hadjitheodorou and David Glasser; Wits Annual cross-faculty symposium 2013
• Energy efficient bio-ethanol recovery; Neil Stacey, Aristoklis Hadjitheodorou, Mark Peters, Diane Hildebrandt and David Glasser; AIChE annual meeting in Pittsburgh, 2012
• Obtaining a petrol/ethanol blend from a fermentation liquor with reduced energy; Neil Stacey, Aristoklis Hadjitheodorou, Mark Peters, Diane Hildebrandt and David Glasser; SAIChE annual meeting 2012
• An engineer on behavioural sociology: mathematical quantification of attractiveness; Neil Stacey; Wits Annual cross-faculty symposium 2012
• Gas Separation of ternary systems in a single permeator with two membranes using residue curve maps; Neil Stacey, Mark Peters, Diane Hildebrandt and David Glasser; AIChE Spring Meeting 2011
• Synthesis, design and thermodynamic analysis of hybrid processes gasifying biomass and smelting iron, Neil Stacey, Mpendulo Ncongwane, Elsevier Eco-Bio conference 2018
• Flue Gas to Food Security: Radical Reductions in Greenhouse Water Usage through Direct Utilization of CO2, Neil Stacey, James Fox, Diane Hildebrandt, AICHE Annual Meeting 2018
• Targeting Techniques for Efficient Biomass Gasification, Saneliswe Magagula, Baraka Celestin Sempuga, Neil Stacey, AICHE Annual Meeting 2018
• Synthesis, Design and Thermodynamic Analysis of Hybrid Processes Gasifying Biomass and Smelting Iron; Neil Stacey, Mpendulo Ncongwane, Baraka Celestin Sempuga, AICHE Annual Meeting 2018

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

Awards:

• Mail and Guardian 200 Young South Africans 2018
• Post-graduate Merit Award, University of the Witwatersrand, 2010-2015
• 2nd place, South African Schools Rowing Championships, 2003