JIIT

Academic Experts

Niraj Kumar

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (SR GRADE)

niraj.kumar@mail.jiit.ac.in

Biography

Niraj Kumar received his B. Tech. degree in Mechanical Engineering from U.P.T.U. and M. Tech. degree in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India. He has completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India. He is currently working as Assistant Professor, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Design, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, India. His research interests include Solar Energy & its applications. He has published around 20 research papers in reputed international journals and conferences. He has published 03 book chapters in SCOPUS indexed book. He has been serving in the teaching profession for more than 8 years.

Research Highlights

His research area is solar air heaters and their applications. Solar air heaters (SAHs) are used for crop drying and space heating. His recent research has focused on improving the thermal efficiency of solar air heaters by reducing thermal losses and improving heat transfer. He is working on the incorporation of artificial roughness elements—such as ribs and fins—on the absorber plate. These enhancements aim to maximize heat absorption while minimizing energy loss, ultimately leading to more efficient and effective solar heating solutions. Furthermore, he is exploring innovative materials that could further enhance the performance and durability of solar air heaters in various environmental conditions. These elements increase turbulence in the airflow, enhancing convective heat transfer rates without significantly increasing pressure drop.

Areas Of Interest

(1) Solar and Thermal Applications Research (STAR)
(2) Materials and its Applications (Tribological Characteristics)

Publications

N. Kumar and P. Kumar, “New equations for enhanced film thickness in line contacts under pressurized ambient conditions,” IMechE Part J: Journal of Engineering Tribology Vol. 231(5), pp. 616-622, 2017.
N. Kumar and P. Kumar, “Lubricant selection for minimum traction in EHL line contacts during accelerated motion – A numerical approach,” ASME-Journal of Tribology Vol. 139: 051502, pp. 1-5, 2017.
N. Kumar, M.K. Singh, V.S. Yadav, V. Singh and A. Maheswari, “A comparative analysis of Ribs and Cans Type Solar Air Heater,” EVERGREEN joint journal of novel carbon resource sciences and green Asia strategy Vol 10, Issue 03, pp 1449-1459, September 2023.
V. Singh, V. Yadav, V. Trivedi, M. Kumar and N. Kumar N, “Application of response surface methodology for analyzing and optimizing the finned solar air heater,” Journal of Thermal Science Vol. 33, pp. 985-1009, 2024.
P. Jha, B. Das, R. Gupta and N. Kumar, “An Experimental Analysis of Photovoltaic Thermal Collector with Trapezoidal and Plain Plates: An energy, Exergy and Life Cycle Assessment,” Applied Thermal Engineering Vol. 274, 126769, 2025.