Dr. Patrick Keane is a recognised Professional Engineer (Mechanical & Chemical) and researcher who focuses on developing sustainable energy technologies and advanced material solutions.
Believing that necessity is the mother of invention, Dr. Keane is currently a Research Fellow at the University of South Australia's Future Industries Institute, where he is focused on developing and commercialising novel, unpressurised heat pump hot water systems (a project funded by the RACE 2030 CRC).
His work builds on his PhD research, "Amorphous Self-Healing Geopolymer Composites for Molten Salt Containment," and he continues to create new geopolymer solutions for thermal energy storage and refractories. This research, which was... Read more
About me
Dr. Patrick Keane is a recognised Professional Engineer (Mechanical & Chemical) and researcher who focuses on developing sustainable energy technologies and advanced material solutions.
Believing that necessity is the mother of invention, Dr. Keane is currently a Research Fellow at the University of South Australia's Future Industries Institute, where he is focused on developing and commercialising novel, unpressurised heat pump hot water systems (a project funded by the RACE 2030 CRC).
His work builds on his PhD research, "Amorphous Self-Healing Geopolymer Composites for Molten Salt Containment," and he continues to create new geopolymer solutions for thermal energy storage and refractories. This research, which was short-listed for the SA PhD Excellence Award in 2025, has also resulted in a provisional patent and been featured on the covers of top academic journals, including the Journal of the American Ceramic Society.
As actions speak louder than words, Dr. Keane has also been recognised for his research, winning a first-place award for best PhD presentation at the 2023 Alkali Activate Materials and Geopolymers ECI Conference. He actively translates his expertise into real-world applications through industry consulting and international collaborations, earning a US Army Corps of Engineers Challenge Coin for excellence and serving as an advisory board member for the 16th International Ceramic Congress.
Dr. Keane is an expert in advanced material characterisation (SEM/EDS, STA, XRD/XRF, Raman) and mechanical evaluation (ASTM standards). He is proficient with engineering software (MATLAB, ANSYS, Python) and holds certifications in Lean Six Sigma and Scrum.
His background includes 3D printing concrete structures with the U.S. Army and Marines and developing nanoparticulate metal oxides. He earned his PhD in Energy and Advanced Manufacturing from the University of South Australia and a B.S. in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering with a minor in Material Science from the University of Illinois.
"I am willing and capable to learn and adapt."
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of South Australia
Bachelor of Science in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering University of Illinois
Associate in Engineering Science Parkland College
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Development and Commercialisation of a Novel Domestic Heat Pump Water Heater, Race for 2030, 05/08/2025 - 20/02/2028
Electrifying the Cold Chain – Phase 2, Race for 2030, 04/04/2023 - 14/02/2025
Electrifying the Cold Chain – phase 2, Race for 2030, 17/04/2023 - 16/04/2024
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
6
1
|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
6
|
| 2022 |
Open access
10
|
| 2022 |
5
6
|
| 2021 |
19
17
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2025 |
Open access
1
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
1
1
|
| 2024 |
Open access
5
4
|
| 2023 |
11
10
|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
6
1
|
| 2023 |
Open access
6
6
|
| 2022 |
Open access
10
|
| 2022 |
5
6
|
| 2021 |
17
16
|
| 2021 |
Open access
15
|
| 2021 |
19
17
|
| 2021 |
43
38
|
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Care of Our Environment | AUSTRALIA |
| Deakin University | AUSTRALIA |
| Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) | NETHERLANDS |
| Forschungszentrum Julich | GERMANY |
| Mondial Advisory | AUSTRALIA |
| National Institute for Amazonian Research | BRAZIL |
| Structure and Function of Materials (IEK-2) | GERMANY |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | UNITED STATES |
| University of Padua | ITALY |
| University of Queensland | AUSTRALIA |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
National Engineering Register in Chemical Engineering and Mechanical EngineeringEngineers Australia |
2026 |
National Engineering Register in Chemical Engineering and Mechanical EngineeringEngineers Australia |
2025 |
First Place in Best PhD Candidate PresentationEngineering Conferences International |
2023 |
Committee Memberi3Dc at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto |
2021 |
Teaching & student supervision
