Team values
As a team, we are serious about Collaboration, Innovation and Impact.
As a team, we are serious about Collaboration, Innovation and Impact.
Our work is designed for scale. By applying solutions in operational contexts, we deliver measurable outcomes that contribute to decarbonization, sustainable fuel adoptions, and a circular carbon economy.
Innovation is central to our mission. We focus on translating research into scalable solutions—bridging the gap between laboratory discovery and real-world implementation through rigorous experimentation and systems-level design.
At Team Roberts, we prioritize strategic collaborations with industrial partners and academic institutions to address complex challenges of decarbonization, sustainable fuels, and industrial emissions. By integrating cross-sector expertise, we can accelerate the development and deployment of scalable technologies with industrial applications.
Professor William Roberts is a leading figure in energy and environmental research, known for his pioneering work in combustion science, multi-pollutant carbon capture, and sustainable fuels. With decades of experience in both academia and industry, he brings a unique perspective to the lab—bridging deep scientific inquiry with practical, scalable solutions. Under his leadership, Team Roberts has grown into a globally recognized hub for innovation, collaboration, and impact. Professor Roberts is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of scientists and engineers, fostering a culture of curiosity, rigor, and purpose. His vision drives the team’s mission: to conduct transformative research that addresses real-world challenges and contributes to a more sustainable future.
Team Roberts is a multidisciplinary research group comprising over 35 researchers—including graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and scientists—the team conducts both fundamental and applied research with a clear emphasis on scalability and industrial relevance.
SCIENCE IN ACTION.
DRIVEN TO SOLVE.
MADE TO SCALE.
Research Scientists
Senior Research Scientist
Current
Building 5 Level 4, Office 4268
Dr. Ayman M. Elbaz is a Senior Research Scientist in the Clean Energy Research Platform (CERP) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), where he conducts research on advanced combustion technologies for sustainable energy systems. He joined KAUST in 2012 as a postdoctoral researcher and has since progressed through the roles of Research Scientist and Senior Research Scientist. Before joining KAUST, he served as a Fulbright Visiting Assistant Professor at Vanderbilt University, USA, and as a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Helwan University, Egypt.
Dr. Elbaz received his B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Helwan University, Egypt. His research focuses on experimental combustion, with particular emphasis on ammonia and hydrogen as carbon-free fuels, fuel-flexible combustion systems, flame stabilization, pollutant formation, and advanced laser diagnostics. His work combines state-of-the-art optical measurement techniques—including planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), particle image velocimetry (PIV), Rayleigh and Raman scattering—with combustion experiments to investigate the complex interactions between turbulent flow, chemical reactions, and emissions.
Over the past decade, Dr. Elbaz has led and contributed to numerous collaborative research projects supported by industry and government partners, including Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), and international academic institutions. His research has advanced the understanding of ammonia combustion, hydrogen-based energy systems, low-emission burner technologies, and alternative fuels for industrial power generation. He has also pioneered several novel burner concepts and developed experimental facilities for investigating combustion under both atmospheric and elevated-pressure conditions.
Dr. Elbaz has authored numerous publications in leading journals, including Combustion and Flame, Fuel, and the Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, and has delivered keynote lectures at major international conferences on ammonia combustion and clean energy technologies. He actively supervises graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting scholars while fostering international collaborations across academia and industry.
His long-term vision is to bridge fundamental combustion science with practical engineering solutions that accelerate the transition toward carbon-neutral energy systems, enabling the safe and efficient use of hydrogen, ammonia, and other sustainable fuels in next-generation industrial burners, gas turbines, and power generation technologies.
His research encompasses ammonia and hydrogen combustion, fuel-flexible burner development, turbulent reacting flows, flame stabilization, pollutant formation, and combustion dynamics. By employing state-of-the-art laser-based diagnostics—including planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), particle image velocimetry (PIV), Rayleigh scattering, and Raman scattering—he investigates the complex interactions between fluid dynamics, chemical kinetics, and heat transfer that govern flame behavior and emissions.
Dr. Elbaz collaborates closely with industry and international research institutions to develop innovative low-emission combustion technologies capable of supporting the global transition toward sustainable energy. His current research emphasizes ammonia- and hydrogen-fired combustion systems, advanced swirl combustors, alternative fuel utilization, and the development of next-generation burner technologies for gas turbines, industrial furnaces, and power generation systems.
His long-term objective is to bridge fundamental combustion research with practical engineering solutions that enable the safe, efficient, and scalable deployment of carbon-free fuels in future energy infrastructures.
1. Elbaz, A.M., Hassan, Z.O. and Roberts, On the coupling between swirl-swirl interaction and NO formation in NH3/CH4 co-combustion flames. Just accepted to Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 42 (2026).
2. Elbaz, A.M., Hassan, Z.O. and Roberts, Stability, structure, and emissions of NH₃/CH₄ swirling flames in non-premixed and co-fired modes. Just accepted to Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 42 (2026).
3. Leilei Xua, Xieming Wu, Yuchen Zhou, Zubayr O Hassan, William L Roberts, Ayman M Elbaz, Xue-Song Bai, Flame stabilization and NO emission in stratified ammonia/methane dual-swirl flames. Just accepted to Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 42 (2026).
4. Congjie Hong, Yuhao Xu, Janardhanraj Subburaj , Ayman M. Elbaz , William L. Roberts , Zuohua Huang , Yingjia Zhang , Aamir Farooq.Kinetic interactions and nonlinear blending behavior in laminar flames of PMH/DTBP mixtures.Just accepted to Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 42 (2026).
5. Mahmoud M.A. Ahmed, William L. Roberts, Ayman M. Elbaz, Flame structures and emissions of stratified-cofired liquid ammonia spray flames in a double-swirl burner. Just accepted to Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 42 (2026).
6. Zhou, Y., Sjögren, C.O.O., Xu, L., Hassan, Z.O., AlSuhaibani, A., Solami, B.H., Jamal, A., Siddiqui, O., Roberts, W.L., Bai, X.S. and Elbaz, A.M., 2026. Ammonia/methane flame interaction and NOx emission in a double-swirler burner. Fuel, 414, p.138356.
7. Ahmed, M.M.A., Hassan, Z.O., Shohdy, N.N., Roberts, W.L. and Elbaz, A.M., 2026. Investigating the emissions and flame structures of lean premixed partially cracked ammonia flames stabilized in a bluff-body burner. Fuel, 414, p.138303.
8. Xu, L., Sjögren, C. O. O., Zhou, Y., Chen, F., Hassan, Z. O., Alsuhaibani, A. S., ... & Elbaz, A. M. (2026). Turbulent mixing and flame stability in a dual-swirler ammonia/methane co-flame burner: Reynolds number effects on NOx emissions. Combustion and Flame, 287, 114883.
9. Elbaz, A.M., Arab, O.Z. and Roberts, W.L., 2026. The cellular flame instability of ammonia/propane laminar flames at elevated pressures. Fuel, 410, p.137946.
10. Wang, S., Chen, J., Elbaz, A.M., Wang, Z. and Roberts, W.L., 2026. Effects of fuel-staging and reburning on NOx emissions from NH3/CH4/air swirling flames. Combustion and Flame, 286, p.114816.
11. Wang, S., Elbaz, A.M., Wang, Z. and Roberts, W.L., 2026. Experimental and kinetic modeling study of laminar burning velocity of 2-methylfuran and ammonia blends at elevated pressures and temperatures. Combustion and Flame, 285, p.114769.
12. Hong, C., Subburaj, J., Zou, J., Elbaz, A.M., Roberts, W.L., Huang, Z., Zhang, Y. and Farooq, A., 2026. Laminar flame speed of hydrogen-enriched sustainable aviation fuel: Experiments and chemical kinetic modeling. Combustion and Flame, 283, p.114613.
13. Hong, C., Zou, J., Leo, Y., Subburaj, J., Elbaz, A.M., Roberts, W.L., Huang, Z., Zhang, Y. and Farooq, A., 2025. Experimental and kinetic analysis of laminar flame speed in hydrogen-enriched highly branched iso-alkanes: A comparison of iso-octane and iso-dodecane. Combustion and Flame, 282, p.114506.
14. Abdulnaim, A.M., Elkholy, A.H., Elmously, M., Moneib, H.A. and Elbaz, A.M., 2025. Analysis of non-reacting and reacting flows in biogas/methane cofiring within a double-swirl burner: role of the inner swirler. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, p.111654.
15. Hong, C., Subburaj, J., Zou, J., Elbaz, A.M., Roberts, W.L., Huang, Z., Zhang, Y. and Farooq, A., 2025. Laminar flame speed of hydrogen-enriched Jet A1: Experimental measurement and kinetic analysis. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 184, p.151953.
16. Hong, C., Zou, J., Subburaj, J., Elbaz, A.M., Roberts, W.L., Zhang, Y., Huang, Z. and Farooq, A., 2025. Investigation of Di-tert-butyl peroxide combustion: time-resolved speciation, laminar flame speed, and model evaluation. Combustion and Flame, 280, p.114350.
17. Abdulnaim, A.M., Elkholy, A.H., Elmously, M., Moneib, H.A. and Elbaz, A.M., 2025. On the flame structure and emission characteristics of biogas combustion using the double flame co-firing concept. Energy, p.138312.
18. Adam, A., Elbaz, A., Kai, R. and Watanabe, H., 2025. A Numerical Investigation of the Flame Characteristics of a CH4/NH3 Blend Under Different Swirl Intensity and Diffusion Models. Energies, 18(15), p.3921.
19. Mohamed, E.I., Elkholy, A., Moneib, H.A. and Elbaz, A.M., 2025. NH 3/CH 4/Air Partial Premixed Flames: Flame Stability, Emissions, and Thermal Structure. Energy & Fuels, 39(29), pp.14330-14344.
20. Wang, S., Elbaz, A.M., Wang, Z. and Roberts, W.L., 2025. The laminar and turbulent flame speed of methanol/ammonia/air, ethyl-acetate/ammonia/air, and dimethoxymethane/ammonia/air under atmospheric and elevated pressures. Combustion and Flame, 277, p.114187.
21. Wang, S., Wang, Z., Elbaz, A.M. and Roberts, W.L., 2025. Experimental and kinetic studies on laminar burning velocity of NH3/N2O/N2 and CH4/N2O/N2 mixtures under sub-atmospheric and elevated pressures. Fuel, 391, p.134832.
22. Elbaz, A.M., Hassan, Z.O., Albalawi, A.M., Ahmed, M.M., Abdullah, M., Cenker, E. and Roberts, W.L., 2025. Investigating NO emissions, stability, and flame structure in co-fired premixed NH3/CH4/air swirling flames. Combustion and Flame, 272, p.113892.
23. Mansour, M.S., Hasanin, M.K., Zayed, M.F., Kayed, H., Hussein, M.A., Juddoo, M., Roberts, W.L., Masri, A.R. and Elbaz, A.M., 2025. Mixing and stability of inhomogeneous partially premixed stratified turbulent flames of natural gas. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 41, p.105939.
24. Ahmed, M.M., Xu, L., Bai, X.S., Hassan, Z.O., Abdullah, M., Sim, J., Cenker, E., Roberts, W.L. and Elbaz, A.M., 2024. Flame stabilization and pollutant emissions of turbulent ammonia and blended ammonia flames: A review of the recent experimental and numerical advances. Fuel Communications, 20, p.100127.
25. Al-Bulqini, H.M., Ahmed, M.M., Elbaz, A.M., Zayed, M.F., Roberts, W.L., Juddoo, M., Masri, A.R. and Mansour, M.S., 2024. The effect of mixture inhomogeneity and turbulence on the flame front curvature and flame surface density of turbulent planar flames of natural gas. Fuel, 360, p.130620.
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
2008
M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering
Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
2001
B.Sc. in Mechanical Power Engineering
Helwan University, Cairo, Egypt
1994
Dr. Ayman M. Elbaz is a Senior Research Scientist in the Clean Energy Research Platform (CERP) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). He joined KAUST in 2012 and has over two decades of experience in combustion science, clean energy technologies, and advanced laser diagnostics. His research focuses on hydrogen and ammonia combustion, fuel-flexible combustion systems, flame stability, pollutant formation, and low-emission burner development for sustainable energy applications.
Dr. Elbaz has led and contributed to numerous industry- and government-funded research projects in collaboration with organizations such as Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), and international academic partners. His expertise includes the application of advanced optical diagnostics, including planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), particle image velocimetry (PIV), Rayleigh scattering, and Raman scattering, to investigate combustion processes and develop next-generation low-emission combustion technologies.
He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications in leading combustion journals, supervised graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and established international collaborations with leading research institutions. His current research aims to advance carbon-neutral energy technologies through the development of efficient, fuel-flexible combustion systems for hydrogen, ammonia, and other sustainable fuels.
World's Top 2% Scientists
Recognized in the Stanford University/Elsevier World's Top 2% Scientists ranking for research impact in the field of Energy, based on standardized citation indicators. (Include the year(s), e.g., 2023, 2024, 2025, if applicable.)
Young Investigator Award
9th Asia-Pacific Conference on Combustion (ASPACC), Taiwan, 2013
Fulbright Visiting Assistant Professor Award
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, 2010–2011
Malaysian Technical Cooperation Program (MTCP) Research Fellowship
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Malaysia, 2008
Clean Energy Research Platform (CERP)
Physical Science and Engineering Division (PSE)
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)