Department of Mechanical Engineering

Lights

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ahad

Assistant Professor

Ext: +92-57-9153-224

Email:[email protected]


Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ahad

Assistant Professor

Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ahad is a dedicated academic and researcher specializing in System Dynamics and Control and Mechanical Design, with particular expertise in Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs). He earned his PhD and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute (GIK Institute), where his doctoral research focused on the development and control of Active Magnetic Bearings. He is a Life Member of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and brings a diverse portfolio of teaching, research, industrial collaboration, and funded R&D projects experience. Dr. Ahad currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Air University, Aerospace & Aviation Campus Kamra.

His broader research interests include System Dynamics and Control, Mechanical Design, Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs), Unmanned Aerial and Underwater Vehicles (UAVs and UUVs), Flight Control Systems, Magnetically Coupled Marine Thrusters (MCMTs), Marine Thrust Vectoring, Prosthetic Knee Design, Composite Materials, and Permanent and Hybrid Magnetic Couplings for marine applications. He has also been actively involved in funded industrial and collaborative R&D projects, contributing to the design, analysis, development, prototyping, and experimental validation of indigenous engineering systems and advanced technologies. In addition to his research activities, Dr. Ahad teaches several undergraduate and postgraduate courses and actively supervises PhD & MS research theses and Final Year Projects (FYPs).


Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

Khalid, O., Ishfaq S., Ahad M.A., Ahmad S. “Design and evaluation of a novel non-contact actuator for thrust vectoring of a marine propulsion system,” Journal of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, 2026 (Accepted). (Student Publication — Outcome of MS Thesis Supervision). Hassan, M., Ahad M.A., Ali Q., Ishfaq S. “Detailed modeling and robust control of a Multi-Axis active magnetic bearing system,” J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 48, 217, 2026. (Student Publication — Outcome of MS Thesis Supervision). Ahad, M.A., Ahmad, S.M. “Marine Rotor Supported by Frictionless 3-DoF Active Magnetic Bearings,” Journal of Vibration Engineering & Technology, 13, 254, 2025. M U Haq, A T Jafry, W U Khan, A Ahmed, M A Ahad, S J M Algayyim, N Abbas, U Sajjad, K Hamid, “Investigation of in-nozzle flow behavior coupled with spray characteristics of waste cooking oil and castor biodiesel,” Energy Conversion and Management: X, 24, 2024. Muhammad Abdul Ahad and Sarvat M Ahmad, “Investigation of a 2-DOF active magnetic bearing actuator for unmanned underwater vehicle thruster application,” Actuators, 2021. Ahad, M.A., Iqbal, N., Ahmad, S.M. et al., “Detailed modelling and LQG\LTR control of a 2-DOF radial active magnetic bearing for rigid rotor,” J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 43, 234, 2021. Khattak, M. A., Anique Mukhtar, M. W. Anjum, S. Kamran Afaq, Muhammad Abdul Ahad, Mahmood Khan, S. Kazi, Saeed Badshah, and Rafiuallah Khan, “Performance evaluation of four-stroke SI (Spark ignition) engine using ethanol-gasoline blend E50 at variable load and compression ratio,” Jurnal Teknologi 79, no. 1, 2017.

Conference

H Safdar, M J Iqbal, H Khan, S Ishfaq, M Akif, M U Anjum, Q Zafar and M A Ahad, “Classification of defective fasteners using machine vision,” 4th International Conference on Modern Technologies in Mechanical & Material Engineering (MTME 2026), May 2026. (Presented by Final Year UG Students) S Ishfaq, M Akif, Q Zafer and M A Ahad, “SIMP-based topology optimization of a robotic end-effector,” 4th International Conference on Modern Technologies in Mechanical & Material Engineering (MTME 2026), May 2026. (Presented by PhD Student) A Ahmad, S Shah, S A Khan, S Ishfaq and M A Ahad, “Design and development of a novel hybrid magnetic coupling for marine propulsion systems,” 3rd International Conference on Modern Technologies in Mechanical & Material Engineering (MTME 2025), April 2025. (Oral Presentation) (Presented by Final Year UG Students) Z Awan, H Mukhtar, A Raza, S Ishfaq and M A Ahad, “Design and development of a magnetically coupled marine thruster capable of thrust vectoring for UUVs,” 3rd International Conference on Modern Technologies in Mechanical & Material Engineering (MTME 2025), April 2025. (Oral Presentation) (Presented by Final Year UG Students) M A Ahad, S M Ahmad and M Shakeel, “CFD analysis of propeller for magnetically coupled thruster of unmanned underwater vehicle applications,” Symposium on Advances in Mechanical Engineering ‘SAME’, PIEAS Islamabad, October 2015. M A Ahad and S M Ahmad, “Study of non-contact power transmission mechanism for unmanned underwater vehicle applications,” International Bhurban Conference on Applied Sciences and Technology (IBCAST), Islamabad, January 2016.

Funded Projects


Development of an indigenous actuator. Funded by GoP worth ≈9.8 Millions PKR, PI: Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ahad. (July 2026 – June 2027) Development of an uncertainty analysis and flight control law clearance framework. Funded by GoP worth ≈2.5 Millions PKR, PI: Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ahad. (June 2026 – May 2027) Development of Flight control framework. Funded by GoP worth ≈2.5 Millions PKR, Co-PI: Dr. Muhammad Abdul Ahad. (June 2026 – May 2027) Design and development of magnetically coupled vectoral thruster for an unmanned underwater vehicle. Funded by Ignite & PEC worth ≈0.177 Millions PKR, FYP Supervisor. (NGIRI-2023-19226) Condition monitoring and estimation of remaining useful life of bearings. Funded by Ignite ≈0.076 Millions PKR, FYP Supervisor. (NGIRI-2023-21398) Design and development of magnetically coupled vectoral thruster for unmanned underwater vehicles Phase II. Funded by Ignite ≈0.075 Millions PKR, FYP Supervisor. (NGIRI-2024-26728) Design and development of a pick and place serial manipulator for a flexible manufacturing cell. Funded by Ignite ≈0.08 Millions PKR, FYP Co-Supervisor. (NGIRI-2024-26676) Development of Inspection Drone for SHM using ML and NDT. Funded by Ignite ≈0.08 Millions PKR, FYP Co-Supervisor. (NGIRI-2024-27357)

Research Projects


5-DOF AMB and its novel applications. Vectoral thrust for marine propulsion. Marine propulsion systems. Indigenous Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV). Hybrid magnetic couplings. Estimation of the remaining useful life of motor bearings. A novel electromagnetic launcher for unmanned aerial vehicles. A novel device (attachment) for the safety enhancement of two-wheelers.

PhD Thesis Supervision


Development and control of a frictionless 3-DoF machine rotor supported by active magnetic bearing with Digital-Twin integration. (Student: Engr. Sarmad Ishfaq, PhD ME) (Ongoing)

MS Theses Supervision


Detailed modelling & control of a 5-DoF active magnetic bearing for rigid rotors. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Hassan, MS AE) (Completed, Spring 25) Investigation of a marine propulsion system with thrust vectoring capability. (Student: Engr. Osama Khalid, MS ME) (Completed, Spring 25) Design of fuzzy logic-based LQG controller for an active magnetic bearing system with rigid rotor. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Junaid, MS ME) (Completed, Fall 25) Design and fabrication of electromagnetic launcher for unmanned aerial vehicles. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Osama, MS ME) (Completed, Fall 25) Real-time implementation and performance evaluation of LQG and µ∞ controllers on an active magnetic bearing test rig. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Gulsher, MS ME) (Completed, Spring 26) Neural network-based model predictive control for active magnetic bearing systems: A computational efficiency approach. (Student: Engr. Salman Khan, MS ME) (Completed, Spring 26) Structural sizing of UAV wing with flutter stability considerations. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Haris, MS ME) (Completed, Spring 26) Real-time implementation and performance evaluation of PID & H∞ controllers on an active magnetic bearing test rig. (Student: Engr. Osama Shafqat, MS ME) (Completed, Spring 26) Advanced control strategies for rejection of wall-induced disturbances in UUVs. (Student: Engr. Ahmad Faraz, MS ME) (Ongoing) Active vibration control of cantilevers structure under flutter and resonance conditions combined using electromechanical actuators. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Abdullah, MS ME) (Ongoing) Investigation of manufacturing defects on the low-velocity impact response of composite UAV structures. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Ahsan, MS ME) (Ongoing) Design optimization and structural evaluation of composite polycentric prosthetic knee joints. (Student: Engr. Muhammad Waseem, MS ME) (Ongoing)

FYP Supervision


Investigation of a novel electromagnetic actuator for 1-DoF vectoral thrust. (Funded by two donor organizations) (Completed Spring 2024) Condition monitoring and estimation of the remaining useful life of motor bearings. (Industrial Project and funded by a donor organization as well) (Completed Spring 2024) Design and development of magnetically coupled vectoral (2-DoF) thruster for UUVs. (Funded by a donor organization) (Completed Spring 2025) Design and development of a novel hybrid-type magnetically coupled thruster for unmanned underwater vehicles. (Completed Spring 2025) Prototype development and control of a novel device (attachment) for the safety enhancement of two-wheelers. (Completed Spring 2025) Design and testing of low cost remotely operated underwater vehicle with thrust vectoring capability. (Completed Spring 2026)

Copyright © Air University Kamra Campus.
All right reserved.