- Faculty of Engineering
- Department of Chemical and Process Engineering
- Professor
Contact information
Univerity of Moratuwa
Katubadda
Moratuwa
Sri Lanka
Teaching and Administrative Activities
Fuel Science & Combustion Technology -Undergraduate -2019
Energy Efficiency & Conservation -Undergraduate -2019
Computer Aided Chemical Engineering -Undergraduate -2019
Renewable Energy Engineering -Undergraduate -2019
Energy Management -Postgraduate -2019
Course Coordinator - MSc/PG Diploma in Sustainable Process Engineering - (2019 To 2021)
Laboratory Incharge - Pilot Plant Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering - (2020 To date)
Member of the Faculty 福利在线看 Committee - (2019 To 2019)
Semester 5 福利在线看 Coordinator, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering - (2018 To date)
Industrial Mentoring Coordinator, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering - (2017 To 2021)
Project Manager for 福利在线看 of Moratuwa, Europe Sri Lanka Capacity Building in Energy Circular Economy (EUSL-Energy) - (2020 To 2023)
Member of the accreditation team, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering - (2020 To 2021)
Member of the curriculum revision team, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering - (2020 To 2020)
Member of the Faculty 福利在线看 Committee - (2022 To 2025)
Coordinator of the accreditation team, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering - (2022 To date)
Program Coordinator of MSc in Energy for Circular Economy, 福利在线看 of Moratuwa - (2023 To 2025)
Coordinator of the curriculum revision team, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering - (2023 To 2025)
Member of the Faculty Curriculum Revision Committee - (2023 To 2025)
Personal Mentor, Faculty of Engineering - (2021 To date)
Research Activities
Biomass gasification; Biomass pretreatment (washing
torrefaction and combined treatment); Combustion; Energy efficiency; Process simulation;
Process Parameter Optimization for Upgrading Rice Straw by Combined Washing and Torrefaction Pretreatment - MPhil (ongoing); Optimization of Woody Biomass Oxidative Torrefaction Process using Combined Experimental and Modeling Approach - MPhil (ongoing); Kinetic Modeling of Tar Formation in an Updraft Biomass Gasifier -MSc (Research component of the taught course); Process Parameter Optimization of Washing Pretreatment for Inorganic Removal from Rice Husk - MSc (Research component of the taught course);
Biomass gasification; Biomass pretreatment (washing, torrefaction and combined treatment); Combustion; Energy efficiency; Process simulation;
Education and Professional Affiliations
PhD, KTH Royal Institute of Technology ,2016 PhD in the subject area of Materials Science and Engineering. Thesis: Advanced Gasification of Biomass/Waste for Substitution of Fossil Fuels in Steel Industry Heat Treatment Furnaces
Masters, KTH Royal Institute of Technology ,2012 MSc in Sustainable Energy Engineering with a major in Mechanical Engineering.
Bachelors, 福利在线看 of Moratuwa ,2007 BSc (Hons) Engineering in the field of Chemical and Process Engineering with minor in Energy Engineering
IESL Associate Member(2017 To date)
Career
Senior Lecturer (Grade II) 鈥� on contract basis, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, 福利在线看 of Moratuwa
Temporary Instructor, Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, 福利在线看 of Moratuwa
Engineering Trainee, Nestle Lanka Ltd.
Honours and Awards
Appreciation of Outstanding Research Performances: Award for publications in 2019 (Received 2020)
Appreciation of Outstanding Research Performances: Award for publications in 2020 (Received 2021)
Publications*
W.Y. Chamodika, Y.B.P. Ranasinghe, and Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne,".Comparative Study of One-Step and Two-Step Slow Pyrolysis of Bamboo in Inert and Oxidative Media.",2nd International Research Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering (ChemEICon 2025),Moratuwa,2025,13-17
Praveen Dhananja Lakshan, Anjalika Sewwandi Manoharan, and Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne,".Biochar-Assisted Purification of Wood Vinegar Derived from Coconut Shell Pyrolysis.",2nd International Research Conference on Chemical and Process Engineering (ChemEICon 2025),Moratuwa,2025,60-66
S.D. Weeraratne, I.A.G. Pieterzs, D.S. Gunarathne,".Modeling Deep Eutectic Solvent Based Working Fluids for Vapor Absorption Cooling.",Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon),Moratuwa, Sri Lanka,2023,666-671
N. Perera, S. Nissanka, C. L. W. Dissanayake and D. S. Gunarathne,".Screening Biomass for Co-production of Biochar and Wood Vinegar via Slow Pyrolysis.",Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon),Moratuwa, Sri Lanka,2023,654-659
Dilini Dharmasiri, Dinu Welarathna, Praveena Madhubhani, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne,".Parametric Study of Flue Gas Driven Biomass Gasification.",7th Virtual International Conference on Science, Technology and Management in Energy (eNergetics 2021),Virtual,2021,43-51
U.M.A. Devaraja, S.D.S. Supunsala, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne,".Technical and Environmental Feasibility of Co-firing Torrefied Biomass in a Coal-fired Power Plant.",Moratuwa Engineering Research Conference (MERCon),Moratuwa, Sri Lanka,2020,499-504
S.D.S. Supunsala, U.M.A. Devaraja, R.M.D.S. Gunarathne,".Technical and environmental feasibility of co-firing torrefied biomass in a 300 MWe coal-fired power plant..",9th YSF Symposium,Colombo, Sri Lanka,2020,119-124
U. M. A. Devaraja, S. D. S. Supunsala, S. W. Abeysiriwardane, and R. M. D. S. Gunarathne,".Torrefied biomass combustion in biomass-powered boilers: Process simulation-based case study analysis of power generation and thermal energy generation..",Vidulka National Energy Symposium,Colombo, Sri Lanka,2019,219-229
Y. Bandara, P. Gamage, D. Gunarathne,".Pretreatment of Rice Husk using Hot Water Washing for Ash Removal..",International Conference on Advanced Materials for Clean Energy and Health Applications,Jaffna, Sri Lanka,2019,156
D.S. Gunarathne, P. Mellin, W. Yang, M. Pettersson, and R. Ljunggren ,".System integration of the heat treatment furnace in steel plant with biomass gasification process..",Nordic Flame Days,Copenhagen, Denmark,2015,
D.S. Gunarathne, J.K. Chmielewski, W. Yang, W. Blasiak,".Performance of High Temperature Air/Steam Gasification of Hydrothermal Carbonized Biomass..",22nd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition,Hamburg, Germany,2014,626-631
D. S. Gunarathne, C. A. Cuvilas, J. Li, W. Yang, , and W. Blasiak,".Biomass pretreatment for large percentage biomass co-firing..",12th International Conference on Boiler Technology (ICBT 2014),Szczyrk, Poland,2014,
D.S. Gunarathne, J.K. Chmielewski, W. Yang,".High temperature air/steam gasification of steam exploded biomass..",Finish - Swedish Flame Days,Jyv盲skyl盲, Finland,2013,
R.M.D.S. Gunarathne, D.M. Punchibanda,".Study the effect of co-digestion of kitchen waste with sewage.",Annual Transactions of IESL,Colombo, Sri Lanka,2012,14-19
C. L. W. Dissanayake, D. Thushara, and D. S. Gunarathne,".Optimization of combined washing and torrefaction pretreatment for improving fuel properties and combustion performance of rice straw.",Biomass and Bioenergy ,199,2025
C.L.W. Dissanayake, D. Thushara and D.S. Gunarathne,".Optimizing process parameters in water- and acid-washing pretreatment of rice straw.", Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery,,2024
Udya Madhavi Aravindi Devaraja, Chamini Lakshika Wickramarathna Dissanayake, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne & Wei-Hsin Chen ,".Oxidative torrefaction of woody biomass: introducing a modified severity factor.", Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery,,2024
Wei-Hsin Chen, Guan-Hong Chen, Kuan-Ting Lee, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Anh Tuan Hoang,".Synergetic strategy: upgrading fuel properties of waste starch composite fuels by blending torrefied spent coffee grounds.",Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers,,2024
Udya Madhavi Aravindi Devaraja, Sachini Supunsala Senadheera, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne,".Torrefaction Severity and Performance of Rubberwood and Gliricidia.",Renewable Energy,195,2022
Udya Madhavi Aravindi Devaraja, Chamini Lakshika Wickramarathna Dissanayake, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Wei-Hsin Chen,".Oxidative Torrefaction and Torrefaction-based Biorefining of Biomass: A Critical Review.",Biofuel Research Journal,35,2022
Kuan-Ting Lee, Jai-You Tsai, Anh Tuan Hoang, Wei-Hsin Chen, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Khanh-Quang Tran, Anurita Selvarajoo, Vahabodin Goodarzi,".Energy-saving drying strategy of spent coffee grounds for co-firing fuel by adding biochar for carbon sequestration to approach net zero.",Fuel,326,2022
Congyu Zhang, Fanghua Li, Shih-Hsin Ho, Wei-Hsin Chen, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Pau Loke Show,".Oxidative torrefaction of microalga Nannochloropsis Oceanica activated by potassium carbonate for solid biofuel production.",Environmental Research,212,2022
Melani Anuradha Peiris, Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne,".Parametric and kinetic study of washing pretreatment for K and Cl removal from rice husk.",Heliyon,7,2021
Yasas Wishvajith Bandara , Pringa Gamage , Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne,".Hot water washing of rice husk for ash removal: The effect of washing temperature, washing time and particle size.",Renewable Energy,153,2020
Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Isuru A. Udugama, Sanjivani Jayawardena, Krist V. Gernaey, Seyed Soheil Mansouri, Mahinsasa Narayana,".Resource recovery from bio-based production processes in developing Asia..",Sustainable Production and Consumption,17,2019
Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Pelle Mellin, Weihong Yang, Magnus Pettersson, Rolf Ljunggren,".Performance of an effectively integrated biomass multi-stage gasification system and a steel industry heat treatment furnace..",Applied Energy,170,2016
Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Andreas Mueller, Sabine Fleck, Thomas Kolb, Jan Karol Chmielewski, Weihong Yang, and Wlodzimierz Blasiak,".Gasification characteristics of hydrothermal carbonized biomass in an updraft pilot scale gasifier..",Energy & Fuels,28,2014
Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Andreas Mueller, Sabine Fleck, Thomas Kolb, Jan Karol Chmielewski, Weihong Yang, and Wlodzimierz Blasiak,".Gasification characteristics of steam exploded biomass in an updraft pilot scale gasifier..",Energy,71,2014
Duleeka Sandamali Gunarathne, Jan Karol Chmielewski, Weihong Yang,".Pressure drop prediction of a gasifier bed with cylindrical biomass pellets..",Applied Energy,113,2014
Chunguang Zhou, Thomas Stuermer, Rathnayaka Gunarathne, Weihong Yang, Wlodzimierz Blasiak,".Effect of calcium oxide on high-temperature steam gasification of municipal solid waste..",Fuel,122,2014
Duleeka Gunarathne, Sumudu Sajeewareka Jatunarachchi, Nihal Srikantha Senanayake, Bo Wei,".The effect of throat diameter on the performance of a downdraft biomass gasifier..",International Journal of Energy Engineering,3,2013