Nobuo Maeda

Nobuo Maeda, Ph.D., P.Eng., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on phase transitions, nucleation phenomena, gas hydrates, and flow assurance in petroleum systems. He holds professional affiliations with the American Chemical Society, Society of Petroleum Engineers, and other industry organizations.

Maeda earned his Ph.D. in Physical Sciences and Engineering from the Australian National University (2001), MSc in Materials Science from JAIST (1997), and BEng in Applied Physics from Tohoku University (1992). His honors include an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (2010) and an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Melbourne (2012).

Research interests span nucleation of ice and gas hydrates, wax deposition, surface interactions, and colloidal systems. Current projects investigate nucleation mechanisms in clathrate hydrates and ice, with applications in energy systems and environmental engineering. His work integrates experimental methods like high-pressure calorimetry and microfluidic systems to study hydrate formation dynamics.

Teaching responsibilities include PET E 484 (Oil and Gas Property Evaluation) and PET E 668 (Flow Assurance), emphasizing investment decision-making, flowline risk factors, and multiphase flow analysis. Recent publications explore microbubble-enhanced water treatment, adsorption mechanisms at oil-water interfaces, and CO₂ hydrate dissociation in electrolytes.

Maeda's expertise is reflected in over 150 peer-reviewed articles and collaborations across academia and industry. His lab develops novel inhibitors for flow assurance and studies nanobubble stability in confined geometries, contributing to both theoretical and applied energy solutions.