Expert Details
Membrane Desalination & Filtration (RO, UF/MF) System Design, Operation & Troubleshooting; SilentAlarm Fouling Monitoring & Performance Optimization
ID: 734877
Arizona, USA
Areas of extensive expertise include pre-treatment and membrane systems evaluation (operational, energy, performance, and cost-efficiency), design, operational and performance monitoring, evaluation, optimization, troubleshooting, upgrades, process, and product pilot testing.
Expert provides customized medium level to advanced specialized membrane-based water desalination/ filtration and membrane technology applications training courses and workshops, either in the classroom setting, plant sites, and customized seminars and workshops for organization's personnel.
He innovated, developed, and markets the world's only real-time SilentAlarm SMART technology and software systems capable of detecting, measuring, and monitoring early development of membrane fouling and scaling as well as optimizing RO/UF plants operational efficiency, performance, and cost. The technology is a critical part of water utility digital transformation as it provides remote, real-time, and dynamic monitoring and analytics for optimizing plant operation and performance efficiency and costs.
Evaluation/assessment, monitoring, auditing, troubleshooting, on-site membrane diagnostic autopsy, and optimization of the operational efficiency, performance, and cost-effectiveness of membrane-based water desalination and filtration plants such a reverse osmosis (RO), ultrafiltration (UF), and others. Examples of recent consulting projects:
1. A long-term consulting with a company that developed and patented an innovative new low-energy desalination device, providing technical and business support on testing and bringing the new device to the seawater desalination market worldwide, especially in the Middle East.
2. A consulting assignment to assist a California real estate developer in designing energy and cost-effective RO plant, and providing technical support to help permit the new project with 18 local, state, and federal regulatory agencies.
3. A long-term assignment to provide technical support to a major international consulting conglomerate conducting a high-level feasibility study for its governmental client who requires assistance in developing a 500 billion dollar project including state-of-the-art and innovative environmentally-friendly desalination technologies for proving both temporary as well as permanent potable and agricultural water supplies over the next five years.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1978 | Degree: M. Sc. | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Year: 1977 | Degree: B. Sc. | Subject: Chemical Engineering | Institution: Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Year: 1975 | Degree: B. Sc. | Subject: Chemistry | Institution: American University in Cairo, Egypt |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 1993 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: President, Principal Consultant & Trainer | Department: Membrane Desalination Consulting & Plant Solutions |
Responsibilities:President & Principal Consultant, Trainer and Developer, has 39 years of hands-on industrial experience, mainly gained from direct and effective involvement in various aspects of project management, designing, starting-up, trouble-shooting and optimizing the operation and performance of tens of brackish and seawater water desalination reverse osmosis (RO) membrane plants around the world. These plants include some of the largest and most strategic RO plants in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait, Malta, and the United States. Is heavily experienced, and currently involved in monitoring, identifying and implementing effective control methods for biological and other fouling development, as well as optimizing the operation and performance of these plants, some of which are or will be the largest in the world. He has developed a unique technology and software systems, licensed, that measures and monitors the early fouling development in water desalination and purification membrane systems in real-time and calculates an on-line Fouling Monitor, that serves as a unique, and reliable early-warning fouling indicator. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1983 to 1990 | Employer: E.I. DUPONT CO. | Title: Sr. Technical Specialist | Department: Desalination |
Responsibilities:Responsible for business development, design, monitoring and evaluation of all major RO desalination plants in the Middle East. |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 2008 to 2013 | Employer: ACWA Power International | Title: Sr. Manager, Desalination Technologies & Training | Department: Desalination & Training |
Responsibilities:Established the first technical training institute for Saudi high school graduates to qualify and certify them for desalination and power plants operation and maintenance positions.Responsible for monitoring and troubleshooting the company's 7 seawater RO plants in the region. Seconded to BOWAREGE Project company to restore the floating plants performance and commercial viability and operational efficiency from 20% to 95% in 2 years. Seconded to ACWA Power Barka in Oman to oversee the engineering, construction and commissioning activities of a new SWRO/UF plant project, achieved in record time of under 18 months. |
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International Experience
| Years | Country / Region | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Years: 1983 to 1990 | Country / Region: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malta | Summary: As Sr. Technical Specialist - DuPont Membrane Industry |
| Years: 2008 to 2013 | Country / Region: Saudi Arabia | Summary: As Sr. Manager, Desalination Technologies & Training - ACWA Power |
| Years: 2010 to 2012 | Country / Region: Saudi Arabia | Summary: As Operations Manager, BOWAREG Mobile Desalination |
| Years: 2012 to 2013 | Country / Region: Oman | Summary: As Engineering Director & Commissioning Manager, ACWA Power Barka |
Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| International Desalination Association (IDA) - since 1983 European Desalination Society (EDS) - since 2002 Arab Science & Technology Foundation (ASTF), United Arab Emirates - since 2003 Middle East Desalination Research Center (MEDRC), Sultanate of Oman - since 2004 Water Desalination & Reuse Center, King Abdullah Univ. of Science & Technology (KAUST), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - since 2009 Membrane Research Department, MASDAR Institute, Abu Dhabi, UAE - since 2014 American Water Works Association (AWWA) - since 2016 Water & Energy Sustainability Center (WEST) – University of Arizona, USA - since 2018 |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Member, IDA's Mentoring Program, USA. Member, University of Arizona's Center for Middle Eastern Studies Panel on Science and Diplomacy, USA. |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| Based on Expert's work to turn around the operational efficiency and commercial viability and profitability of the Barges Mobile Desalination Plants, the company was awarded the Innovative Company of the Year by the Saudi Water & Power Forum. |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
|---|
| Authored and presented over 20 international professional publications at various key water desalination conferences and associations worldwide. |
Additional Experience
| Expert Witness Experience |
|---|
| 1. Provided expert investigation and reporting on a membrane desalination plant design flaws in Saudi Arabia for the membrane technology provider, DuPont de Nemours, which was sued by the plant's contractor for production deficiency. Expert's report and findings were used to settle the case without any legal obligations for DuPont and accordingly, the case never went to court. 2. Provided deposition and technical testimony for Space Biosphere Ventures engineering practices at Biosphere 2's environmental project by former management members to the legal representatives of the owner who took legal action to oust the former management. 3. Provided technical support and testimony to the legal representatives of ACWA Power International on design and operational specifics of one of the largest membrane desalination plants in the world. The company has been sued by the major EPC contractor as a result of a dispute on the design of a critical element in the plant. Results of the litigation are unknown as expert left the company prior to finalizing the case in court. 4. Provided lead technical and business support to BOWAREGE, an ACWA Power International project company, by drafting legal response and technical arguments against claims by one of its membrane suppliers, GE Process Water. Case was amicably settled out of court as a result. |
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| Expert provides customized medium level to advanced specialized membrane-based water desalination/filtration and membrane technology applications training courses and workshops, either in classroom setting, plant sites and customized seminars and workshops for your organization's personnel. Intensive technical training courses and workshops were held around the world since 2002 with the International Desalination Association, European Desalination Society, Middle East Desalination Research Center, the Saudi Water & Power Forum and other professional organizations and international conferences on water desalination. Custom courses were developed and delivered for various public and privatized water utilities, as well as private venues in the Middle East, such as MEW in Bahrain, SWCC, MEW, MARAFIQ, Aramco & ACWA Power in Saudi Arabia, DEWA, ADWEA, SEWA & FEWA in the UAE. Recent course CDs and Webinars are available. |
Language Skills
| Language | Proficiency |
|---|---|
| English | Near-native proficiency and fluency |
| Arabic | Native proficiency and fluency |
Fields of Expertise
membrane process, desalination, chemical processing plant design, zero discharge plant, water treatment technology, membrane process technology training, monitoring system, analytical monitoring, performance evaluation, performance measurement, smart sensor, biofouling control, Water Plant Digital Transformation, Water Utility Digitization, system troubleshooting and diagnostics, SilentAlarm software monitoring and fouling management in real-time, Technical Asset Management, Plant & Project Due Diligence Studies