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Ricardo João Santos Almeida holds Bachelor's (2017–2020, GPA 15/20; awarded IPL Industry Scholarship 2017 upon entry) and Master's degrees (2020–2022, GPA 17/20) in Automotive Engineering from ESTG-IPLeiria. His Master's thesis investigated low-carbon fuel utilization in heavy-duty fleet engines, including real-world fleet monitoring, which strengthened his expertise in energy efficiency, renewable fuels, and environmental policy analysis. He is currently in the second year of the PhD program in Sustainable Energy Systems at FCTUC (started September 2024). Since September 2021, he has served as Invited Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IPL, teaching Automotive Technology courses, and as a researcher at ADAI, where his work focuses on biofuel applications in heavy-duty fleets and the experimental validation of emerging solutions in light-duty vehicles. His peer-reviewed output includes a first-author Q1 review article, Decarbonization of EU Road Freight Transport in the Short and Medium Term Through Renewable Liquid Fuels—A Review (Energies, DOI: 10.3390/en19051382, 2026). He is also co-author of two published Springer book chapters (2025): Effects of Advanced Truck Fleet Monitoring on Engine Efficiency, Reliability and Sustainability (DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-47966-4_14) and Study on the Effects of Using Different Blends of Biodiesel and HVO with Conventional Diesel in Heavy-Duty Vehicles (DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-82407-4_6). In addition, two further Springer book chapters are forthcoming from HELIX 24 presentations: Analysis of Environmental Impacts from Heavy-Duty Engine Adjustments for HVO/Biodiesel Operation and CO2 Emissions Assessment Systems Implementation in Heavy-Duty Fleets. As a co-author, he contributed to papers presented at three international conferences in 2024: the 11th International Engine Congress (Baden-Baden, Germany), LUBMAT-IBERTRIB 2024 (San Sebastián, Spain), and HELIX 24 (Leiria, Portugal). He also co-authored five ADAI industry technical reports (2023–2025), including Low-Carbon Fuels in Portugal – 2030 Perspectives (PCBC Platform), the BD-HVO heavy/light-duty chassis dynamometer testing series, and the Bioálcool 2.0 compatibility studies (15,000 km real-road testing plus WLTP laboratory validation). In 2024/2025, he co-supervised undergraduate projects on low-carbon fuel applications in heavy- and light-duty vehicles. His technical expertise includes chassis dynamometer performance and emissions testing, OBD-based fleet monitoring, lubricating oil condition analysis, exhaust gas characterization (CO, CO2, NOx, PM), multicriteria biofuel blend optimization, and national fleet decarbonization scenario modelling. All this work has been conducted within LAETA (FCT UIDB/50022/2020), Portugal’s Associated Laboratory for Energy, Transports and Aeronautics.
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Ricardo João Santos Almeida

Citation names

  • Almeida, Ricardo
  • Ricardo Almeida

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
F017-2CA7-710B
ORCID iD
0000-0003-2053-5742

Email addresses

  • rjsa1999@hotmail.com (Personal)

Knowledge fields

  • Engineering and Technology - Mechanical Engineering

Languages

Language Speaking Reading Writing Listening Peer-review
English Upper intermediate (B2) Advanced (C1) Advanced (C1) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2)
Spanish; Castilian Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Upper intermediate (B2) Advanced (C1) Upper intermediate (B2)
Portuguese (Mother tongue)
Education
Degree Classification
2024/09 - 2030/09
Ongoing
Sistemas Sustentáveis de Energia (Doutoramento)
Universidade de Coimbra Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Portugal
2020/09 - 2022/12/19
Concluded
Engenharia Automóvel (Mestrado)
Major in Sem especialização
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Portugal
"Monitorização de motores em frotas de veículos pesados com foco no combustível utilizado – Motor" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
17
2017/09 - 2020/07/27
Concluded
Engenharia Automóvel (Licenciatura)
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Portugal
15
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2021/09 - Current Researcher (Research) Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Aerodinâmica Industrial, Portugal
Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Aerodinâmica Industrial, Portugal

Teaching in Higher Education

Category
Host institution
Employer
2021/09 - Current Invited Assistant (Polytechnic Teacher) Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Portugal

Others

Category
Host institution
Employer
2020/10 - 2021/07 Monitor no Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão, Portugal
Projects

Contract

Designation Funders
2025/01/01 - 2029/12/31 Laboratório Associado de Energia, Transportes e Aeroespacial
UID/50022/2025
Researcher
Associated Laboratory for Energy Transports and Aeronautics, Portugal

Instituto de Ciência e Inovação em Engenharia Mecânica e Engenharia Industrial, Portugal

Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Aerodinâmica Industrial, Portugal

Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal

Instituto de Engenharia Mecânica, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Ongoing
2020/01/01 - 2024/12/31 Laboratório Associado de Energia, Transportes e Aeronáutica
UIDB/50022/2020
Researcher
Associated Laboratory for Energy Transports and Aeronautics, Portugal

Instituto de Ciência e Inovação em Engenharia Mecânica e Engenharia Industrial, Portugal

Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Aerodinâmica Industrial, Portugal

Universidade da Beira Interior, Portugal

Instituto de Engenharia Mecânica, Portugal
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Concluded
Outputs

Publications

Book chapter
  1. Luis Serrano; João Fonseca Pereira; João Braguez; Ricardo Almeida. "Effects of Advanced Truck Fleet Monitoring on Engine Efficiency, Reliability and Sustainability". 2025.
    10.1007/978-3-658-47966-4_14
  2. Luís Serrano; João Fonseca Pereira; Paulo Matos de Carvalho; João Braguez; Ricardo Almeida; Nuno Pires; Inês Ferreira; Cristina Correia. "Study on the Effects of Using Different Blends of Biodiesel and HVO with Conventional Diesel in Heavy-Duty Vehicles". 2025.
    10.1007/978-3-031-82407-4_6
Conference paper
  1. Pereira, João; Luis M V Serrano; Ricardo Almeida; João Braguez; Carlos Jacinto; Bruno Rodrigues. ""Maintenance ‘Ecological footprint’ of a heavy-duty vehicle consuming biofuel". Trabalho apresentado em HELIX 24 - Conferência Internacional de Inovação Sustentável, Empreendedorismo, Tecnologia e Design, Leiria, 2024". Leiria, 2024.
    Published
  2. PEREIRA, JOÃO; Luis M V Serrano; João Braguez; Ricardo Almeida; Nuno Pires. ""Effects of biofuel use on lubricating oil quality on a spark ignition engine: case study with road and laboratorial tests". Trabalho apresentado em LUBMAT-IBERTRIB2024, San Sebastian, 2024". Paper presented in LUBMAT-IBERTRIB2024, San-Sebastian, 2024.
    Published
  3. Luis M V Serrano; PEREIRA, JOÃO; João Braguez; Ricardo Almeida. ""Effects of advanced truck fleet monitoring on engine efficiency, reliability and sustainability". Trabalho apresentado em 11th International Engine Congress 2024, Baden-banden, 2024". 2024.
    Published
Journal article
  1. Ricardo Almeida; Luis Serrano; Diogo Silva; Helder Santos; João Pereira; Manuel Gameiro da Silva. "Decarbonization of EU Road Freight Transport in the Short and Medium Term Through Renewable Liquid Fuels—A Review". Energies (2026): https://doi.org/10.3390/en19051382.
    10.3390/en19051382
Report
  1. Almeida, Ricardo; SERRANO, LUÍS; Silva, Diogo. 2025. Estudo sobre Combustíveis de Baixo Carbono em Portugal – Perspetivas para 2030. https://combustiveisbaixocarbono.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Estudo-CombustiveisBaixoCarbono_FINAL.pdf.
  2. Pereira, João; Luis M V Serrano; João Braguez; Ricardo Almeida; Nuno Pires. 2024. Estudo de compatibilidade com a utilização final nos motores do produto Bioálcool 2.0 - Parte 2 (final) - Ensaios em laboratório (WLTP e outros) e em estrada (15.000 km) da influência de utilização de biocombustíveis no desempenho, consumos e emissões de veículos automóveis com motores de ciclo Otto.
  3. PEREIRA, JOÃO; Luis M V Serrano; Ricardo Almeida; João Braguez; Nuno Pires. 2023. BD-HVO - Parte 2 (Pesado) - Ensaios em laboratório (Banco de Potência) da influência de utilização de biocombustíveis no desempenho, consumos e emissões de veículos pesados com motores de ciclo Diesel.
  4. PEREIRA, JOÃO; Luis M V Serrano; Ricardo Almeida; João Braguez; Nuno Pires. 2023. Relatório - BD-HVO - Parte 1 (Ligeiro) - Ensaios em laboratório (WLTP e outros) da influência de utilização de biocombustíveis no desempenho, consumos e emissões de veículos automóveis ligeiros com motores de ciclo Diesel.
  5. PEREIRA, JOÃO; Luis M V Serrano; Ricardo Almeida; João Braguez; Nuno Pires. 2023. Estudo de compatibilidade com a utilização final nos motores do produto Bioálcool 2.0 - Parte 1 - Ensaios em laboratório (WLTP e outros) e em estrada (15.000 km) da influência de utilização de biocombustíveis no desempenho, consumos e emissões de veículos automóveis com motores de ciclo Otto.
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. Almeida, Ricardo João Santos. "Monitorização de motores em frotas de veículos pesados com foco no combustível utilizado – Motor". Master, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.8/8296.
Activities

Oral presentation

Presentation title Event name
Host (Event location)
2024/07/25 Study on the effects of using different blends of Biodiesel and HVO with conventional diesel in Heavy-duty vehicles. Trabalho apresentado em 11th International Conference on Energy and Environment Research (ICEER 2024)
(Coimbra, Portugal)
Distinctions

Award

2017 Bolsa IPL Indústria 2017
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria, Portugal