Chemical & Energy Engineer

Ajmal
Navas Cherada

MSc Candidate · Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg

Process simulation meets electrochemical engineering. I bridge experimental lab work and data-driven modelling to design better industrial processes and energy systems — from hydrogen production to battery diagnostics.

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01 — About

Who I Am

Chemical engineering is fundamentally about understanding how matter transforms — and I've spent the last few years building that understanding across two continents and two very different engineering cultures. My MSc at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg has pushed me into reaction kinetics, advanced heat and mass transfer, and electrochemical process engineering.

Before Germany, I spent a year at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in India — ISRO's propulsion research hub — where I designed experiments, ran MATLAB/Simulink simulations, and learned what it means to validate engineering decisions with real data under real constraints.

My current work sits at the intersection of process engineering and energy systems: modelling hydrogen production routes, characterising electrochemical systems in the lab, and applying machine learning to battery degradation problems. I'm drawn to roles where the physics is hard and the stakes are high.

1.3
Grade in Mechanical Process Engineering (Sehr Gut)
1.7
Grade in Advanced Heat & Mass Transfer (Gut)
5+
Engineering projects spanning process simulation, electrochemistry & ML
B1+
German language — actively improving for industrial integration
02 — Skills

Technical Arsenal

Core Engineering

Reaction Engineering85%
Heat & Mass Transfer88%
Thermodynamics82%
Process Systems Engineering80%
Electrochemical Engineering75%

Simulation & Programming

MATLAB / Simulink85%
Python (pandas, matplotlib)80%
Aspen Plus55%
Machine Learning (scikit-learn)70%
Data Analysis & Visualisation78%

Specialist Areas

Hydrogen Production Battery Systems Fuel Cells Drying Technology Renewable Energies Air Pollution Control Nanoparticle Tech Risk Analysis Fluid Dynamics Process Safety EIS Analysis Cell Degradation

Lab & Experimental

Experimental Design System Validation Data Acquisition Charge–Discharge Testing Performance Analysis Process Optimisation Technical Documentation MS Excel
03 — Experience

Where I've Worked

Jun 2021 — Aug 2022
Student Intern
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (ISRO) · India
  • Designed and executed laboratory experiments validating engineering systems for propulsion applications
  • Built MATLAB/Simulink simulation models for performance and reliability evaluation of complex systems
  • Conducted structured data acquisition, processing and evaluation of experimental results
  • Contributed to process optimisation cycles through data-driven analysis and iterative testing
  • Produced technical documentation used in engineering review and system improvement workflows
04 — Projects

Selected Work

ML Pipeline for Li-Ion Battery Cell Sorting

Designed a machine learning classification pipeline using the NASA battery dataset to sort retired lithium-ion cells by health state. Engineered features from voltage, current and capacity data; evaluated model performance using confusion matrices and identified capacity-related features as dominant degradation indicators.

Python scikit-learn Feature Engineering Battery Diagnostics
💧
Hydrogen Production Process Modelling

Developed a computational process model for hydrogen production based on reaction engineering principles. Simulated system performance under varying operating conditions to identify optimal parameters and quantify efficiency trade-offs across different production routes.

Python Reaction Engineering Process Simulation Hydrogen
🔬
Electrochemical System Analysis

Conducted controlled laboratory experiments on electrochemical systems, evaluating process variables and system efficiency under varying conditions. Systematically mapped the relationship between operating parameters and performance metrics.

Lab Testing Electrochemistry Data Analysis MATLAB
🔋
Battery Data Analysis Tool

Built an automated Python pipeline to process and analyse battery performance and degradation data. Developed workflows using pandas and matplotlib for reliable evaluation of charge–discharge cycles, performance trends and anomaly reporting.

Python pandas matplotlib Automation
🚲
E-Bike Electric Drive System

Designed, built, and tested a complete battery-powered electric drive system achieving a real-world range of ~18 km. Performed efficiency analysis, load profiling and system evaluation — a full engineering cycle from concept to validated prototype.

Battery Systems Prototype Testing System Design Efficiency Analysis
📊
Battery Characterisation & Testing

Conducted systematic charge–discharge experiments to characterise lithium-ion cell behaviour, analysing performance trends, capacity fade, and internal resistance evolution. Results fed directly into the ML classification pipeline for second-life sorting applications.

Charge–Discharge Characterisation Cell Testing Second-Life
05 — Education

Academic Background

M.Sc. Chemical and Energy Engineering
Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
Sep 2023 — Present · Germany
GPA 2.8 (ongoing)

Key modules

Reaction Engineering Process Systems Engineering Advanced Heat & Mass Transfer Mechanical Process Engineering Electrochemical Process Engineering Machine Learning in ChemEng Fuel Cells Renewable Energies Drying Technology Risk Analysis
Mechanical Process Engineering 1.3 · Sehr Gut
Advanced Heat & Mass Transfer 1.7 · Gut
Product Quality in Chem. Industry 1.7 · Gut
Dispersion of Hazardous Materials 2.0 · Gut
Renewable Energies 2.0 · Gut
Electrochemical Process Engineering 2.3 · Gut
B.Tech Mechanical Engineering
APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University
Aug 2018 — Jun 2022 · India

Foundation

Thermodynamics Fluid Mechanics Engineering Mathematics Machine Design Manufacturing Processes Control Systems
NOTE
B.Tech background in Mechanical Engineering provides a strong applied physics and systems foundation that directly underpins MSc-level process and energy engineering coursework.
LANGUAGES
English — Fluent German — B1 (improving) Malayalam — Native
06 — Contact

Let's Talk

I'm actively looking for process engineering or battery technical engineering internships starting August 2026. If you're working on industrial process development, energy storage, hydrogen systems, or applied ML in chemical engineering — I'd like to hear from you.

Availability Status
Open to opportunities
Type: Internship (3–6 months)

Start date: June 2026

Target roles: Process Engineer · Battery Technical Engineer · Process Development

Preferred locations: Anywhere in Germany

Target industries: Chemical, Petrochemical, Energy Storage, Hydrogen, Pharma