Head

UNSW Torch Innovation Precinct

Conjoint Senior Lecturer

School of Civil & Environmental Engineering

 Lectures taught

• Advanced Thermodynamics and Separation - CEIC3001
• Advanced Transport Phenomena - CHEN6706

Research interest

• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in membrane processes for water and wastewater treatment
  • Mixing in full scale membrane bioreactors
  • Design of aeration systems; optimisation of aeration energy
  • Porous media models
  • Membrane distillation
  • Effects of mixing on the size and quality of crystals in membrane distillation/membrane crystallisation processes
  • Design of membrane modules (MBR, RO, and MD)
• Membrane bioreactors
  • Phosphorus removal using metal coagulants
  • Design of membrane bioreactors
  • Membrane fouling and cleaning
  • Residence time distribution analysis
• Mechanical analysis of hollow fibre membranes in water and wastewater treatment applications
  • Failure of different membranes and module configurations caused by both repetitive stress-based phenomena and shock loading
• Groundwater treatment for drinking water supplies for remote communities in Australia and China
  • Removal of contaminants, arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, iron and manganese
  • Selection of membrane processes
  • Energy consumption
  • Fouling of NF/RO membranes 
• Other projects
  • Study of floc strength and stability during direct filtration of surface water
  • Characterisation of polymeric membranes using electrical impedance spectroscopy
  • Development of online knowledge support tool for desalination plants
  • Membrane autopsy
  • Treatment of coal seam gas water 

Grants

• Optimisation of coal mine water treatment processes, China Coal Technology Engineering Group, 2019 - 2021
• Wastewater treatment and resource recovery, UNSW Torch Initiatives, funded by Beijing Origin Water Technology, 2016 - 2018
• Membrane Distillation Development for Concentrated Solar Thermal Systems, ARC LP 160100622, 2016-2019
• Development of mobile groundwater desalination systems, Tata Trust, 2015-2017
• Analytics based solution to predict floc strength in direct filtration water treatment plants, Sydney Water, 2016
• Evaluation of the performance and properties of two generations of membranes, Evoqua Water Technologies, 2016
• Evaluation of floc strength and stability during direct filtration of surface water, Sydney Water, 2015
• Design of anaerobic membrane bioreactors using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Abengoa Research Spain, 2015
• Development of National Digital Membrane Library and on-line knowledge support tool for desalination, National Centre of Excellence in Desalination, 2014
• Faculty of Engineering Early Career Research Grants Program, UNSW (2013) 
• Faculty of Engineering Early Career Research Grants Program, UNSW (2012)

Awards

• The World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO) Innovation Award (2020)
• PIEoneer Awards for Public/Private Partnership of the Year (2018)
• UNSW President Award on "Building Collaboration" (2017)
• Peter Farrell Challenge Cup, 2^nd place, Australian Graduate School of Management, Australian School of Business, UNSW (2009)
• Commercialisation Training Scheme (CTS) Scholarships (2009), Graduate Research School, UNSW (2009)

Professional Organisations and Service Roles

Member, International Water Association (IWA)

Member, IWA working group on CFD

Member, Membrane Society of Australasia (MSA)

Education

Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering), UNSW; 2010.

Grad. Cert. of Research Management and Commercialisation, UNSW; 2009.

B.Eng. (Chemical Engineering), Tianjin University, Tianjin, China; 2001.