B.Eng., M.Eng., PhD (Concordia), P.Eng.

• Professor

Contact Information

Ph: 709-864-8930
Em: asharan[at]mun.ca
Office: EN3047

Research Interests

Robotics, rotor dynamics, machine tools, energy and environment, artificial intelligence

Personal Profile

I completed my undergraduate education in metallurgical engineering from I.I.T. in Bombay, India, a prestigious institution known worldwide in the field of engineering. I completed two master’s degrees, one in materials science and another in mechanical engineering from Washington State University. I worked in industry for several years in the U.S. and Canada before doing my PhD at Concordia University in mechanical engineering in 1982. Since then, I have been a professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University. 

I have had a variety of industrial and research experiences in the areas of energy, environment, machine tools, robotics, and rotor dynamics, which include turbines used in aircrafts and power generation industry. I think I am best known for my research in the field of solar energy. I carry out research on necessities for human life, such as clean water, clean air, greater productivity in agriculture, such as prediction of monsoon rains for growing food-crop.

I also have interest in solving problems using archaeo-astronomical techniques such as establishing the historicity of the Epic Mahabharata like Homer’s Troy, proved historical by Heinrich Schliemann whose excavations lent weight to the idea that Homer's Iliad reflects historical events. My date of the Mahabharata War was further confirmed by the excavation remains of chariots made during the bronze age at Sonauli near Delhi when the Mahabharata War took place according to my research in the year 2156 BC.

I have interest in the research findings and lives of famous scientists and astronomers such as Aryabhatta I from Patna in India who wrote in his book named Aryabhatia in 499 AD at the age of 23 about the laws of planetary motions in our solar system including the spin motion of the earth. Such motions were discovered in Europe by Copernicus who was born on February 19, 1473, Galileo, Kepler, and Issac Newton whose laws were modified by Einstein.

Using the earth’s motions, I have invented a solar tracking system for electrical and thermal energy generation. This machine using wireless technology can generate from a single location on the earth – electrical power all 24 hours wherever there is sunshine on the earth. This method works by placing the solar panels in optimal position to receive the sunlight with minimum effort of rotation of the panels.

I have invented an electrical vehicle which has zero emission and can run on electricity supplied from solar energy through the solar panels mounted on the vehicle or stored in the batteries.  Thus, the supplied energy need not be derived from terrestrial sources – a machine not quite perpetual but near to it as it need not derive energy from the earthly sources.

I have published over 211 research papers and given invited lectures. The publications also include patents, monographs, eclipse tables between 4000 BC to 2300 AD and several inventions. I am a fellow of American Society for Mechanical Engineers. My current research involves refrigeration using the heat absorption method where the sun’s heat is used for refrigeration and making ice, which can also be used for energy storage (green ice).