Researcher

My Expertise

Pyrometallurgy; Computational Fluid Dynamics; Heat Transfer; Mass Transfer

Keywords

Biography

Dr Xiaobing Yu

  • Lecturer, University of New South Wales (UNSW)
  • PhD (UNSW, 2021)

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Dr Yu’s research lies at the intersection of metallurgical engineering, multiphase flow simulation, machine learning, and low-carbon ironmaking technologies. His work focuses on developing physically consistent,...view more

Dr Xiaobing Yu

  • Lecturer, University of New South Wales (UNSW)
  • PhD (UNSW, 2021)

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Dr Yu’s research lies at the intersection of metallurgical engineering, multiphase flow simulation, machine learning, and low-carbon ironmaking technologies. His work focuses on developing physically consistent, industrial-scale numerical models to understand in-reactor flow–reaction–heat transfer mechanisms, particularly in high-temperature metallurgical systems. He studied metallurgy under the supervision of Prof. Zongshu Zou at NEU (2012–2017) for his Master's and PhD degrees (discontinued due to a change in circumstances) in Metallurgy, then joined the School of Chemical Engineering at UNSW as a PhD candidate (under the supervision of Prof. Yansong Shen) on a full scholarship in 2017.

Over the past decade, he has designed and developed a systematic modelling framework for complex processing and transport systems​​​​​, specifically ironmaking and steelmaking, covering:

  • Fluent-based steady and dynamic blast furnace models
  • Blast furnace raceway-scale and hearth-scale sub-models
  • Heat and mass balance modelling
  • Burden layer structure modelling
  • Gas residence time analysis
  • Central coke and nut coke charging strategies
  • Carbon composite briquette charging
  • Oxygen enrichment operation
  • Hydrogen shaft injection modelling
  • Transient-state blast furnace/shaft furnace modelling
  • Evaluation of geometric and operational parameters (e.g., shaft angle effects)

 

More recently, his research has extended to:

  • Hydrogen-assisted ironmaking and in-furnace dynamic behaviours
  • Gas residence time modelling and reducing gas utilisation efficiency under shaft hydrogen injection
  • Raceway modelling of coal gasifiers, revealing reacting flow features
  • CFD-based industrial-scale Basic Oxygen Furnace (BOF) modelling incorporating flow, thermal and chemical interactions
  • AI-assisted mathematical model coupled with traditional CFD

 

Dr Yu supervises PhD and Master’s students in metallurgical process modelling and decarbonisation technologies (6 PhD students and 5 Master's students, up to 2025). His pioneering work and a suite of original computational models developed at UNSW—including the CFD raceway model, burden layer structure model for blast furnaces, hydrogen ironmaking model, transient-state blast furnace model, and AI-aided metallurgical mathematical model—laid a foundation for research conducted by PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in the laboratory. His broader research vision is to establish a mechanistically grounded modelling framework and develop predictive tools to support the transition towards low-carbon smelting systems.
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·Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=sZYJdl8AAAAJ&hl=en
·PhD Thesis (Aug-2020): https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/entities/publication/7ebabed1-7c22-40e9-8aee-077d00555f57
·Email: xiaobing.yu@unsw.edu.au


My Research Supervision


Supervision keywords


Areas of supervision

Metallurgy; Ironmakiing; Steelmaking; Numerical Modelling; Metallurgy Surrogate Model


Currently supervising

I currently supervise PhD and Master’s students in the areas of blast furnace and shaft furnace ironmaking, AI applications in metallurgy, and basic oxygen furnace steelmaking, providing guidance in experimental design, modelling, and the publication process.

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Location

Room 101, Science & Engineering Building (E8)