Prof. Hongwei Wu, BE, ME, PhD (Newcastle)
Room 204-528
Phone: 08 9266 7592
Fax: 9266 2681
E-mail: H.Wu@curtin.edu.au
Professional Appointments
- 2010.01 – present, Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University of Technology
- 2009.01 – present, Deputy Director, Curtin Centre for Advanced Energy Science and Engineering, Curtin University of Technology
- 2002.08 – 2009.12, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University of Technology
- 2002.08 – 2006.09, Key Researcher, CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development, Curtin University of Technology
- 2000.02 – 2002.07, Research Fellow, CRC for Clean Power from Lignite, Monash University
Relevant Professional Activities
- 2009, Co-Chair (with Prof Minghou Xu from Huazhong University of Science and Technology), 2009 Sino-Australia Symposium on Advanced Coal and Biomass Utilisation Technology, 9 – 11 December 2009, Wuhan, China
- 2009 – present, Guest Professor, State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- 2008 – present, Associate Editor, Energy & Fuels – an international journal of the American Chemical Society
- 2007, Member of Editorial Advisory Board, Energy & Fuels – an American Chemical Society journal
- 2006, Co-Chair (with Prof Minghou Xu from Huazhong University of Science and Technology), 2006 Sino-Australia Symposium on Advanced Coal Utilisation Technology, 12 – 14 July 2006, Wuhan, China
- 2006, Expert panel member, WA strategy and future trends in the field of Biofuels, Australasian Research Management Society, with the participation of Minister Francis Logan MLA, Minister for Energy, Science and Innovation
- 2006, Invited submission for Senate Inquiry into Biofuels to the Commonwealth and WA Biofuels Taskforce
Research Interest
- Biomass and Biofuels Production
- Coal pyrolysis, gasification and combustion
- Biomass pyrolysis, gasification and combustion
- Transformation of mineral matters in solid fuels (coal, biomass and wastes)
- Utilisation of solid wastes from combustion and gasification of solid fuels (coal, biomass and wastes)
- Hydrogen production from solid fuels (biomass, coal and wastes)
- Heat and mass transfer in industrial process
- Life cycle analysis
- Metallurgical reduction using biomass charcoal, coal and gas reductants
Selected Publications in Refereed International Journals (2005 –)
- Y. Yu and H. Wu, Characteristics and Precipitation of Glucose Oligomers in the Fresh Liquid Products obtained from the Hydrolysis of Cellulose in Hot-Compressed Water, Industry & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2009, 48, 10682
- K. Yip, F. Tian, J. Hayashi and H. Wu, Effect of Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metallic Species on Biochar Reactivity and Syngas Compositions during Steam Gasification, Energy & Fuels, accepted on 30/06/09.
- H. Wu, K. Yip, F. Tian, Z. Xie and C.-Z. Li, Evolution of Char Structure during the Steam Gasification of Biochars Produced from the Pyrolysis of Various Mallee Biomass Components, Industry & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2009, 48, 10431
- H. Abdullah and H. Wu, Biochar as a Fuel: 1. Properties and Grindability of Biochars Produced from the Pyrolysis of Mallee Woody Biomass under Slow-Heating Conditions, Energy & Fuels, 2009, 23, 4174–4181.
- Y. Yu, J. Bartle, C.-Z. Li and H. Wu, Mallee Biomass as a Key Bioenergy Source in Western Australia: Importance of Biomass Supply Chain, Energy & Fuels, 2009, 23, 3290–3299.
- K. Yip, H. Wu, D. K. Zhang, Mathematical modelling of Collie coal pyrolysis considering the effect of steam produced in situ from coal inherent moisture and pyrolytic water, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 2009, 32(2), 2675–83.
- Y. Yu, X. Lou and H. Wu, Some Recent Advances in Hydrolysis of Biomass in Hot-Compressed Water and Its Comparisons with Other Hydrolysis Methods, Energy & Fuels, 2008, 22, 46–60.
- H. Wu, Q. Fu, R. Giles and J. Bartle, Production of Mallee Biomass in Western Australia: Energy Balance Analysis, Energy & Fuels, 2008, 22(1), 190–198.
- N. Widiastuti, H. Wu, M. Ang and D.K. Zhang, The potential application of natural zeolite for greywater treatment, Desalination, 2008, 218 (1-3), 271–280.
- M. Garcia-Perez, X.S. Wang, J. Shen, M.J. Rhodes, F. Tian, W.-J. Lee, H. Wu and C.-Z. Li, Fast pyrolysis of oil mallee woody biomass: Effect of temperature on the yield and quality of pyrolysis products, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2008, 47, 1846–1854.
- L. Ngu, H. Wu and D.K. Zhang, Characterization of Ash Cenospheres in Fly Ash from Australian Power Stations, Energy & Fuels, 2007, 21(6), 3437–3445.
- K. Yip, H. Wu and D. K. Zhang, Effect of Inherent Moisture in Collie Coal during Pyrolysis Due to in-Situ Steam Gasification, Energy & Fuels, 2007, 21(5), 2883–2891.
- H. Wee, H. Wu and D. K. Zhang, Heterogeneity of Ash Deposits Formed in a Utility Boiler during PF Combustion, Energy & Fuels, 2007, 21: 441.
- K. Yip, H. Wu and D. K. Zhang, Pyrolysis of Collie Coal Briquettes to Produce Char as a Metallurgical Reductant, Energy & Fuels, 2007, 21: 419.
- C. Zeng, S. Clayton, H. Wu, J.-i.Hayashi and C.-Z. Li, Effects of Dewatering on the Pyrolysis and Gasification Reactivity of Victorian Brown Coal, Energy & Fuels, 2007, 21: 399.
- H. Sun, C. Kong and H. Wu, Mass and Heat Transfer in a Coke Fuelled Shaft Furnace, Canadian Metallurgical Quarterly, 2006, 45(4): 395
- G. Weber, Q. Fu and H. Wu, Energy Efficiency of an Integrated Process Based on Gasification for Hydrogen Production from Biomass, Development in Chemical Engineering and Mineral Processing, 2006, 14(1/2): 33
- S. Wang and H. Wu, Environmental-benign utilisation of fly ash as low-cost adsorbents, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2006, 136(3):482.
- C. Zeng, G. Favas G, H. Wu, A. Chaffee, J.-i. Hayashi and C.-Z. Li, Effects of Pretreatment in Steam on the Pyrolysis Behaviour of Loy Yang Brown Coal, Energy Fuels, 2006, 20(1): 281.
- S. Wang, L. Li, H. Wu and Z. H. Zhu, Unburned carbon as a low-cost adsorbent for treatment of methylene blue-containing wastewater, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2005, 292(2): 336.
- F. J. Tian, H. Wu, J. L. Yu, L. J. McKenzie, S. Konstantinidis, J.-i. Hayashi, T. Chiba and C.-Z. Li, Formation of NOx precursors during the pyrolysis of coal and biomass. Part VIII., Fuel, 2005, 84(16): 2102.
- C. Zeng, H. Wu, J.-i. Hayashi and C.-Z. Li, Effects of thermal pretreatment in helium on the pyrolysis behaviour of Loy Yang brown coal, Fuel, 2005, 84(12–13): 1586.
- S. Wang, Y. Boyjoo, A. Choueib, E. Ng, H. Wu and Z.H. Zhu, Role of Unburnt Carbon in Adsorption of Dyes on Fly Ash, Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, 2005, 80:1204.
- H. Wu and C. Kong, Structural Characterisation of Porous Char Particles Using a Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope, Development in Chemical Engineering and Mineral Processing, 2005,13(3/4): 423
- H. Wu, C. Kong, D. K. Zhang and T. F. Wall, Ash Formation from the Combustion of Coals with Maceral Concentrates at Pressure, Development in Chemical Engineering and Mineral Processing, 2005, 13(3/4): 415.
- H. Wu, X. Li, J.-i. Hayashi, T. Chiba and C.-Z. Li, Effects of Volatile-Char Interactions on the Reactivity of Chars from NaCl-Loaded Loy Yang Brown Coal, Fuel, 2005, 84(10): 1221.
- H. Wee, H. Wu, D. K. Zhang and D. French, The effect of combustion conditions on mineral matter transformation and ash deposition in a utility boiler fired with a sub-bituminous coal, Proceedings of Combustion Institute, 2005, 30(2): 2980.