Dr. Ashwani Kumar Soni joined Punjab Agricultural University as Assistant Professor in Department of Civil .Engineering on 30 September, 1999. He is currently working as Senior Scientist in Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University   and has 25 years of teaching experience as Assistant, Associate professor and  Sr. Scientist at College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Punjab Agricultural University and 2 years of teaching experience   as LecturerDr B.R. Ambedkar Regional Engineering College, Jalandhar (presently NIT Jalandhar).    He  has addition responsibility as Chairman Academic Affairs, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology since 2017. He has received his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from IIT, Delhi, India. His Current research focuses on biogas technology and water resources. He is involved in the All India Coordinated Research Project on Energy in Agriculture and Agro-based Industries (AICRP on EAAI), with current projects centered on developing continuous-type biogas plants for paddy straw. His portfolio of completed work includes designing and developing various biogas systems, creating software for plant design and cost estimation, evaluating slurry handling machinery, and researching H₂S scrubbers..  He has Published 5 papers in national/international journals, 8 papers in national and international conferences, 5 book chapters, 3 abstracts in conferences and Presented papers/reports in 25 international and national conferences/workshops 

Professional Accomplishments

Research Projects:

1. All India coordinated research project on Energy in Agriculture and Agro- based industries (AICRP on EAAI) (DRET- Bio-Conversion Technology)

List of on-going sub-projects under AICRP

• Design and development continuous type biogas plant for Paddy straw
• Upscaling Bioenzyme Production From Organic Wastes and its use for Enhancing Biogas Generation From Lignocellulosic biomass
• Energy and Carbon footprint analysis of PAU Biogas plants

Projects Accomplished:

1. Integrated management of aquatic weeds in drains and water bodies in Punjab; “Potential of water hyacinth as source of biogas” funded by Drainage Department Government of Punjab
2. Research and development on biomass properties/ characteristics funded by PRI, Bangalore

List of completed sub-projects under AICRP –

• Preparation of software for designing family size and PAU model power Generation biogas plant
• Solid liquid separation of digested biogas plant slurry using chemical methods
• Design and development H2S Scrubber for power generation from biogas plants of size 100 -500 m³/day
• Performance evaluation of prefabricated biogas plants and its adaption for Punjab region
• Development of engineered system of 10KW capacity paddy straw based biogas plant (SPRERI technology) and field evaluation
• Evaluation and modification of SPRERI Slurry Dewatering machine suitable for large capacity biogas plants
• Design and field evaluation of fixed dome solid state cattle dung biogas plant and power generation system
• Comparative evaluation of slurry handing machines of PAU ludhiana and HPKVV Palampur centres
• Installation and demonstration of horizontal flow biogas plant of MPUAT design in the field.
• Development of biphasic biomethanation system for biogas and power generation from paddy straw
• Intensive evaluation and modification of spent slurry handling machine
• Development of high-rate anaerobic digester for agro industrial waste in small industry
• Design and development of slurry dewatering system (Screw Press) for large capacity biogas plant.
• Development of software for preparation of cost estimate of large size biogas plant
• Study of Energy Characteristics of Paddy Straw under different Storage Conditions
• Development of software for cost estimate of MNRE approved Biogas plants
• Installation and evaluation of Biogas Plant based on Kitchen waste of capacity
• Characterization of paddy straw varieties of Punjab for biogas production
• Process development of Silicase enzyme production from silica degrading fungus and its application for removing silica of paddy straw

 Research Publications:

1. Soni, A.K., Sooch, S.S. (2017). Graphical user interface based design of modified PAU Janta model biogas plant. Agricultural Research Journal, 54, 398-403.
2. Kaur, S., Aggarwal, R., and Soni, A. (2011). “Study of water-table behaviour for the Indian Punjab using GIS.” Water Science and Technology, 63(8), 1574-1581
3. Soni, A., Aggarwal, R., and Khullar, N. K. (2008). “Potential of Rainwater Harvesting for an Urban Area.” Journal of Research Punjab Agricultural University, 45(3 &4), 196-199.
4. Khullar, N.K., Soni, A., Singh, J., Jaggi, A.K. (2000). Rainfall Prediction Nomograms for Punjab. Hydrology Journal, 22( 1-4) 15-26.
5. Khullar, N.K., Soni, A., Singh, J., Jaggi, A.K. (1999). Selection of Rainfall Frequency Distribution Model for Punjab. Journal of Applied Hydrology, XII(4), 22-28.

Awards and Recognition:

1. Merit in 10+2
2. Merit certificate and University Scholarship during M.Tech
3. QIP Scholarship during Ph.D