Contact Dr Mingming Zhu

Areas of expertise

  • Biomass and Waste
  • Carbon Capture and Storage
  • Conventional & Advanced Fuels
  • Renewable Energy

Background

Dr Zhu is a Reader in Chemical Engineering at Cranfield university and an Adjunct Research Fellow of The University of Western Australia.

Dr Zhu obtained BEng in Thermal Engineering from University of Science and Technology Beijing (2006) and MEng in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophyscis from Tsinghua University (2008). He was awarded the PhD degree in Chemical and Processing Engineering by University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2013.

Dr Zhu's expertise embraces chemical reaction engineering science (e.g. gas-solid reaction and catalytic reactions) and thermal science (e.g. heat transfer, combustion, thermodynamics) relavant to low-carbon fuels and sustainable energy production. His particular interest is on high temperature chemical processing including solid oxide electrolysis for hydrogen and synthetic fuels, hydrogen carriers (ammonia and methanol) and biofuels, advanced combustion of low-carbon fuels, gas to liquid conversion for methanol and SAF, and applied catalysis for NOx and CO2 reduction.

Dr Zhu has been working closely with industry and successfully secured and delivered more than £5 million R&D funds from industry (e.g. EDF UK, BAE System) and competitive research grants programs such as UK EPSRC, Australian Research Council (ARC) and Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). His research has led to commercial realities, including development and commercialisation of combustion catalysts, successful demonstration of catalytic pyrolysis technology for hydrogen, syngas, methanol and biochar production, bio-hydrogen production and combustion of ammonia and hydrogen. Dr Zhu recent work is focused on the use of ammonia as carbon-free fuel and hydrogen carrier, including ammonia catalytic combustion and cracking for hydrogen production. Dr Zhu has published more than 140 journal and refereed conference papers (h-index of 35) and delivered more than 20 presentations and invited talks.

Research opportunities

Dr Zhu welcomes PhD and Master by Research students, visitors and collaborations with interest in high temperature catalysis for sustainable energy and low-carbon fuels, thermochemical processing (pyrolysis and gasification), combustion and applied catalysis relevant to hydrogen energy, and environmental industries.

Current activities

Dr Zhu's current research focuses on the development of advanced combustion and thermochemical processing technologies for the production of low-carbon fuels and sustainable energy generation, with particular interests in:

(1) Hydrogen and ammonia energy: catalytic combustion of hydrogen/ammonia, ammonia synthesis and cracking, hydrogen/ammonia direct solid oxide fuel cell;

(2) Biofuels, bioenergy and biochar: pyrolysis of biomass and wastes for synthetic fuel (e.g. H2, methanol) and power generation, anaerobic digestion for biogas for combined heat and power, biochar production and utilisation;

(3) Applied catalysis for fuel processing and environmental emission control: carbon supported nano- and single atomic catalysts, CO2 capture and conversion, biogas reforming, methanol synthesis, NOx selective catalytic reduction.

Clients

EPSRC

EDF UK

BAE Systems

Samad Power Ltd.

MicroTech

We are Nium

Atkins

Publications

Articles In Journals