Floren Plaza

Dr Floren Plaza is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Mechanical, Medical & Process Engineering at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). With 24 years of industry experience, he specializes in boiler optimization, computational modeling, and sugar cane processing. His roles include Senior Research Fellow at QUT's Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities, and prior engineering positions at sugar industry institutions.

Education: PhD from University of Southern Queensland (2003) focused on mechanical behavior of bagasse. Professional qualifications include RPEQ, CPEng, and NPER engineering registrations.

Research interests center on boiler design, CFD applications, material modeling, and energy efficiency. Notable projects include improving boiler performance via CFD and FEM, and developing constitutive models for bagasse mechanics. He has supervised research on bagasse behavior in chutes (2013).

Key achievements: Developed a permeability/diffusivity rig for bagasse analysis, contributed to boiler modifications in multiple countries, and led $4M sugar factory capital projects. Awards include a PhD in material science with industrial applications.

Grants: Secured projects like 'Improved modelling of wet scrubbers' (2012) and 'Increasing Awareness of New Material Options' (2010). Collaborates with industry on equipment design and process optimization.