01
Sustainable fuels
Hydrogen, ammonia, biofuels and oxygenated fuel components.
Engineer · Scientist · Project Leader
From characterisation to sustainable industry.
I work where rigorous experimental science meets industrial delivery—developing cleaner fuels, renewable chemicals and the engineering pathways needed to scale them.
Profile
Engineering decisions grounded in evidence, built for practical impact.
Dr. Sumit Agarwal is a mechanical engineer specialising in fluid and thermal engineering, combustion, reaction kinetics and sustainable fuels.
His career spans doctoral research at IIT Guwahati, an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship, advanced experimental work at Germany’s National Metrology Institute (PTB), and project leadership in renewable and sustainable chemicals.
He combines facility-scale experimentation, laser diagnostics and kinetic modelling with project development, international partnerships and commercial strategy. His current focus is translating renewable feedstocks into lower-carbon fuels and chemicals through technically credible, scalable projects.
02
Reaction kinetics
Ignition, oxidation, emissions and mechanism validation.
03
Advanced diagnostics
Shock tubes, rapid compression machines and TDLAS.
04
Project development
Engineering, partnerships, techno-economics and scale-up.
Experience
A career connecting laboratory insight with industrial execution.
2026 — present
Project Manager
TECOSOL GmbH · Germany
Leading renewable and sustainable fuels initiatives across project development, engineering and international business.
June 2025 — present
Founder
SUSSEN Sustainable Energy Private Limited · India
Building renewable-chemical and engineering ventures focused on sustainable fuels, glycerine valorisation and scalable industrial solutions.
2018 — 2026
Project Manager & Scientist
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) · Braunschweig
Designed and delivered combustion and metrology research using high-pressure shock tubes, rapid compression machines and laser absorption spectroscopy, while coordinating international projects and research partnerships.
2019 — 2021
Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow
PTB / TU Braunschweig · Germany
Advanced experimental reaction-kinetics research for alternative fuels and developed measurement approaches under engine-relevant conditions.
Doctoral research
Researcher in Fluid & Thermal Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati · India
Investigated transient heat transfer and shock-tube diagnostics, including development of IIT Guwahati’s first high-speed shock-tube facility.
Selected work
Programs shaped around measurement, decarbonisation and scale.
Industrial development
Renewable chemicals & Solketal
Developing a co-location concept that upgrades crude glycerine from biodiesel production into a higher-value oxygenated fuel component, with engineering, feedstock and commercial workstreams.
Experimental science
Alternative-fuel reaction kinetics
Experimental studies of hydrogen, ammonia, alcohols and fuel blends under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions, supported by kinetic modelling.
Measurement
Laser absorption diagnostics
Time-resolved species measurements for nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and oxygenated fuels using mid-infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy.
International collaboration
Hydrogen metrology
Cross-border work addressing measurement challenges relevant to hydrogen production, transport, material compatibility and industrial deployment.
Research infrastructure
High-pressure facilities
Planning and operation of complex experimental facilities for ignition-delay, species-time-history and combustion measurements.
Venture building
SUSSEN Sustainable Energy
Indo-German initiative focused on green chemicals and engineering services, connecting technical development with commercial partnerships and market entry.
Research
Selected peer-reviewed publications.
2026
Drop-In Capability of Solketal in Diesel and Gasoline Fuels Containing Biodiesel, HVO, Fossil Diesel, and Gasoline Based on Standard Physical and Chemical Fuel Properties
ACS Omega, 11(16), 24063–24074 · with J. Türck, F. Schmitt, J. Utecht, R. Türck, W. Ruck and J. Krahl
2024
Experimental and modeling study on the autoignition behavior of H₂–O₂ mixtures under atmospheric pressure for argon power cycle engines
Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 40 · with S. Jin, D. Zhu, R. Fernandes, L. Li and B. Shu
2022
MID-IR laser absorption spectroscopy of 1- and 2-butanol in a shock tube facility
Combustion and Flame, 243, 112087 · with collaborators at PTB
2022
Investigation on the NO formation of ammonia oxidation in a shock tube applying tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy
Combustion and Flame, 246 · with D. Zhu, Z. Qu, M. Li, R. Fernandes and B. Shu
Education
Built on mechanical engineering and experimental thermosciences.
Doctorate
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Fluid & Thermal Engineering · 2018
Fellowship
Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship
Postdoctoral research at PTB
2019–2021
Bachelor’s degree
Mechanical Engineering
Gauhati University
Foundation in engineering design and thermosciences
Connect
Open to serious conversations about sustainable fuels, chemicals and engineering partnerships.
Based in Germany and working internationally across research, project development and industry.