The University of Western Australia

W/Prof Dongke Zhang

Director/Winthrop Professor
UWA Centre for Energy

Contact details

Address

UWA Centre for Energy
The University of Western Australia (M473)
35 Stirling Highway
CRAWLEY WA 6009
Australia

Phone

6488 7600

Fax

6488 7235

Email

dongke.zhang@uwa.edu.au

Qualifications

FTSE, BE ME Southeast, PhD Newcastle(NSW), FIChemE, CEng, CSci, FIEAust, CPEng, FAIE, MIComb

Biography

Life has constantly played up with me: I love outdoor sports activities (track and field, swimming, riding and tennis…), but end up with a heavily office life; I was trained as mechanical engineer, but end up with a chemical engineer title; I love to have a few daughters and sons, but end up with three sons only. The list goes on and on.

Not entirely so ……

Three things have been always right for me and that’s enough: I wanted Jing to be my wife, I have her; our three sons, David, Daniel and Damien, are so lovely, polite, talented, and always pleasant; I love fire from my childhood, I am still burning anything that burns, from coal to gas, from biomass to city garbage, and even chicken shit; and I burn things in a variety of ways, from stove to boilers, from jet burners to internal combustion engines, from spontaneous combustion to dust explosion, and even catalytic combustion and human body spontaneous combustion; I also burn things to make a variety of products, from heat to light, from electricity to antimicrobials, and even NOx, SOx, and the damn CO2 ……

The awesome energy released from combustion fuels my professional life, just as Jing, David, Daniel and Damien who have warmed my body and soul, all the time.

Life is a process of combustion, often spontaneous ……

Key research

Research papers have been published in the following areas:

(A)Industrial Furnaces and Kilns

mathematical modelling of furnaces

radiant property estimation

thermal properties of coal ashes

heat transfer in furnaces

pulverised fuel – fired, fluid-bed, and stoker-fired furnaces

coal ash slagging, fouling and deposition

direct and in-direct fired industrial kilns – combustion and heat transfer

oxy-fuel combustion

(B)Coal

coal drying and pyrolysis,

pulverised coal combustion and gasification kinetics

ignition, laboratory testing and industrial flames

fluidised-bed coal combustion and gasification

process synthesis of coal utilisation

pyrolysis and coal volatile matter combustion

low-rank coal upgrading

sulphur transformation and evolution during heating of coal particles

spontaneous combustion of coal stock-piles and mudstone dumps

inorganic reactions, mineral transformation and coal ash deposition

coal to liquid

(C)Hydrocarbons (Oil and Gas)

catalytic combustion and hydrocarbon processing

natural gas reforming by partial oxidation

catalytic effect of NOx in hydrocarbon reactions

catalytic partial oxidation of propene for acrolein production

organic polymers, polymerisation of acrolein

gas to liquid

(D)Ignition and Explosions

thermal explosion theory (TET)

laser-induced explosions of gas mixtures

ignition mechanisms of gases and dust clouds

laboratory testing of explosion safety

industrial explosion risk assessment and protection

(E)Aerodynamics

jet mixing and entrainment

effect of particulates on jet properties

interaction between particles and turbulence in coal flames

modelling of non-isothermal multi-phase reacting flows

(F)Flames

flow, mixing and combustion in flames, measurements and modelling

ignition of industrial coal, oil and gas flames

burner design and mathematical modelling

multi-fuel burners

(G)Environmental

zero emission energy technologies

NOx formation and destruction in combustion systems

in-situ capture of SOx by additives

in-situ desulphurisation in coal gasification processes

catalytic clean-up of automotive engine emissions (NO and hydrocarbons)

effluent clean-up of power stations

photocatalysis for waste water cleaning

spontaneous combustion control

combustion and incineration of municipal waste, energy production

remediation of refinery disposals

utilisation of industrial waste and by-products

(H)Energy

hydrogen economy and cleaner energy

energy options for the future

hydrogen economy, hydrogen production, hydrogen carriers

energy saving technologies

renewable energy from biomass and waste materials

energy engineering

biofuel and bioenergy processing

(I)Reaction Engineering

mechanisms of catalysed reactions

surface sciences and molecular dynamics

heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysts, catalyst structure,

characterisation

development of non-noble metal catalysts for NOx decomposition

reactor design, ultra-fast reaction, short contact time reactor (SCTR)

photocatalysis

inorganic polymer

material syntesis by combustion methods

(J)Heat Transfer

thermal conductivity measurement

analytical and numerical techniques for heat transfer analyses

design and analysis of heat pipes

high efficiency heat transfer technologies

heat and mass transfer

heat transfer analysis of process systems

(K) Process Synthesis and Design

process development and modelling

pilot plant experience – development, design and commissioning

Publications

Recent publications:1.Gao， K., Wu, J. H.，Wang, Y， and D. K. Zhang, Bubble Dynamics and Its Effect on The Performance of A Jet Fluidized Bed Gasifier Simulated Using CFD, Fuel, Vol. 85, No. 9, p.1221-1231, 2006.
2.Gunawan, R., Freij, S., Zhang, D.K., Beach, F., and Littlefair, M., A mechanistic study into the reactions of ammonium nitrate with pyrite, Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 61, p.5781-5790, 2006
3.Stamatov, V.A., King, K.D., and Zhang, D.K., Ignition of Combustible Atmospheres caused by uniform and Non-Uniform Radiation Heating of an Inert Particle, Combustion Science and Technology, 178 (8) : 1325-1344, 2006
4.Haghighi, M., Sun, Z., Wu, J., Bromly, J., Wee, H., Ng, L.K., Wang, Y., Zhang, D.K., On the Reaction Mechanism of CO2 Reforming of Methane over a Bed of Coal Char, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol 31(2), 1983-1990, 2006
5.Wee, H.L., Wu, H., and Zhang, D.K., Heterogeneity of Ash Deposits Formed in a Utility Boiler during PF Combustion, Energy and Fuels, 21, 441-450, 2006
6.Yip, K., Wu, H. and Zhang, D.K., Pyrolysis of Collie Coal Briquettes to Produce Char as a Metallurgical Reductant, Energy and Fuels, 21, 419-425, 2007
7.Sun, Z.Q., Wu, J., Haghighi, M, and Zhang, D.K., Methane Cracking over a Bituminous Coal Char., Energy and Fuels 21(3):1601 – 1605, 2007
8.Yip, K., Wu, H. and Zhang, D.K., Effects of Inherent Moisture in Collie Coal on its Pyrolysis due to In-situ Steam Gasification, Energy and Fuels, 21, 2883-2891, 2007
9.Ngu, L., Wu, H. and Zhang, D.K., Characterization of Ash Cenospheres in Fly Ash from Australian Power Stations, Energy and Fuels, 21, 3437–3445, 2007
10.Widiastuti, N., Wu, H., Ang, M., and Zhang, D.K., The potential application of natural zeolite for greywater treatment, Desalination 218: 271–280, 2008
11.Zhang, Y., Wu, J., Haghighi, M, and Zhang, D.K., An Experimental Study into the Cracking of Simulated Oil Refinery Off-Gas over a Coal Char, a Petroleum Coke and Quartz, Energy and Fuels, 22 (2), 1142-1147, 2008
12.Sun, Z.Q., Wu, J., and Zhang, D.K., CO2 and H2O Gasification Kinetics of a Coal Char in the Presence of Methane, Energy and Fuels, 22 (4), 2160 – 2165, 2008
13.Yip, K., Wu, H. and Zhang, D.K., Mathematical Modelling of Collie Coal Pyrolysis Considering the Effect of Steam Produced in situ from Coal Inherent Moisture and Pyrolytic Water, the Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol 32 (2), 2675–2683, 2008
14.Yani, S., and Zhang, D.K., Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Sulphur in a Lignite during Pyrolysis: Influence of Inherent and Added Inorganic Matter, the Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Vol 32 (2), 2083–2089, 2008
15.Zhang, Y., Wu, J., and Zhang, D.K., Ethane Cracking in Coal Char Bed and Quartz Sand Bed, Petrochemical Technology, 37，No.8, p.770-775，2008
16.Zhang, Y., Wu, J., and Zhang, D.K., An Experimental Study of Co-conversion of Coal and Oil Refinery Off-Gas for Synthesis Gas Production – the Cracking of Ethane over a Bed of Coal Char or Quartz, Jounral of China University of Mining and Technology, 37，No.5, p.646-651，2008
17.Gunawan, R. and Zhang, D.K., Thermal stability and kinetics of decomposition of ammonium nitrate in the presence of pyrite, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 165, 751–758, 2009
18.Song, M. and Zhang, D.K., An Experimental Investigation into the Oxidation of Four Pyritic Shales from Western Australia, Minerals Engineering, 22, 550–559, 2009
19.Sun, Z., Wu, J., Wang, Y., and Zhang, D.K., A Kinetic Study of CO2 Gasification of a Chinese Coal Char during Combined Coal Gasification and CH4 Reforming，Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology, 37, No. 4, p.410-415，2009
20.Xu, Z., Wu, J., Wang, Y., and Zhang, D.K., Study of Methane Cracking over Lignite Char, Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology, 37, No. 3, p.277-282，2009。
21.Zhang, Y., Wu, J., and Zhang, D.K., An Experimental Study of the Cracking of Ethene over a Bed of Coal Char or Quartz, Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology, 37, No. 5, p. 546-551, 2009
22.Sun, Z.Q., Wu, J., and Zhang, D.K., An Experimental Study of Methane and Carbon Dioxide Reforming over a Chinese Coal Char in a Fixed-Bed Reactor，Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology, 37, No. 6, p. 641-647, 2009
23.Yani, S. and Zhang, D.K., An Experimental Study of Sulphate Transformation during Pyrolysis of an Australian Lignite, Fuel Processing Technology, 91, 313–321, 2010
24.Zhang, Y., Wu, J., and Zhang, D.K., A Thermodynamic Analysis of Combined Coal Gasification and Coal-Bed Methane Reforming for Synthesis Gas Production, Journal of Fuel Chemistry and Technology, 38, No. 1, p.12-16, 2010
25.Yani, S. and Zhang, D.K., An Experimental Study into Pyrite Transformation during Pyrolysis of Australian Lignite Samples, Fuel, 89, 1700–1708, 2010
26.Zeng, K. and Zhang, D.K., Recent Progress in Alkaline Water Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production and Applications, Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 36:307–326, 2010
27.Hondow, N.S., Koutsantonis, G.A., Fuller, R.O., Fansuri, H., Saunders, M., Stamps, R.L., and Zhang, D.K., The Modification of M41S Materials: Addition of Metal Clusters and Nanoparticles, New Journal of Chemistry, in press (accepted 23 February 2010)
28.Zhang, D.K., and Yani, S., Sulphur Transformation during Pyrolysis of An Australian Lignite, submitted to Combustion Symposium, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of The Combustion Institute (2010)
29.Chan, Y, Bromly, J.H., Konnov, A., and Zhang, D.K., The differentiated effect of NO and NO2 in promoting methane oxidation, accepted for publication in the Proceedings of The Combustion Institute (2010)
30.Chen, R., Wilson, M., Leong, Y.K., Bryant, P., Yang, H., and Zhang, D.K., Preparation and Rheology of Biochar, Lignite Char and Coal Slurry Fuels, Fuel, accepted for publication on 12th October 2010

Roles, responsibilities and expertise

Director, Centre for Energy

Funding received

•Australian Research Council Discovery Projects Scheme, Production, Processing and Combustion of an Innovative Slurry Fuel for High Efficiency Distributed Power Generation (DP110103699)
•Australian National Low emissions coal research & development (ANLECR&D) Research & development projects Alternatives & Fundamentals Program, Oxygen Membranes for Oxyfuel Combustion and/or brown and black coal gasification
•BHP Billiton Iron Ore Pty Ltd, Low-Temperature Oxidation, Spontaneous Combustion and Acid Rock Drainage of Mt McRae Shale: Continuing Quality Assurance for the Application of the New Shale Classification System for ARD Minimisation and Management Based on pH and ORP Techniques
•Australian Research Council Linkage Projects Scheme, Synthetic Natural Gas and Biochar from Biomass for Energy Services in Remote Communities and Soil Carbon Sequestration (LP100200135)
•Australian Research Council Linkage Projects Scheme, Methanol to Diesel (LP100200136)
•Australian Research Council Linkage Projects Scheme, An Innovative Two-Phase Anaerobic Process for Biogas Production from Green Waste and Animal Droppings for Remote Communities (LP100200137)
•Australian Research Council Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities Scheme, An Advanced Thermogravimetric Analysis System for World-Leading Research in Clean Energy, Catalysis, Material Science and Nanotechnology
•Australian Research Council Discovery Projects Scheme, Ignition Mechanisms and Flame Evolution of Single Particles and Clouds of Pulverised Coal under Micro-Gravity Condition (DP0988036)
•Australian Research Council Linkage Projects Scheme, Homogeneous Combustion Catalysts for Efficiency Improvements and Emission Reduction in Diesel Engines (LP0989368)
•Chinese Academy of Sciences International Collaboration Funds, Research and Development into the Key Scientific Issues in Syngas to Diesel via DME
•Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of China, Strategic Research into the Fundamentals of Lignite Reactions and Tactical Development of Technologies for Clean and Efficient Utilization of Lignite
•National Natural Science Foundation of China, A fundamental Study of the Combined Coal Gasification and Coal-bed Methane Reforming in Fluidised-bed
•Australian Research Council Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities Scheme, A novel isotope facility to characterise high-molecular-weight fractions of natural organic matter in soils, sediments, water, petroleum and coal
•Spitfire Oil Ltd, Lignite to Value process development, evaluation and optimisation
•BHPBilliton MKO (Nickel) Pty Ltd., Development of a portable pH technique for in-pit identification of reactive shale for safe blasting of mine grounds using ANFO

Memberships

•Fellow, Institution of Chemical Engineers in Australia (FIChemE)
•Chartered Engineer, The Engineering Council (UK)
•Chartered Scientist, The Science Council (UK)
•Fellow, Engineers Australia (FIEAust)
•Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng)
•Fellow, Australian Institute of Energy (FAIE)
•Member, The Combustion Institute.

Honours and awards

•The 1000 Chinese talents fellowship, China, 2010
•CEO’s Award for Excellent Environmental Services, BHPBilliton Ltd, 2008
•John Curtin Distinguished Professor, 2007
•John A. Brodie Medal for Excellence in Chemical Engineering, Engineers Australia and Institution of Chemical Engineers, 2007
•Plenary Speaker on “Particles” as a Science and its Role in Modern Energy Technology Development at 2006 Conference of Chinese Society of Particuology, Beijing, China, 2006
•Elected Fellow (FTSE), Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE), November 2004
•Plenary Speaker, Perth Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Future Conference, Perth, September 12 – 15, 2004
•Awarded the Young Investigators Award at the 3rd Asian-Pacific Conference on Combustion, Nanjing, Seoul, June 2001 (award presented in Nanjing, November, 2003)
•Recognised by Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) under the CAS’ “100 Outstanding Chinese Scholars” program with an overseas expert assessor status (2002)
•Invited Plenary Speaker, the 6th Asia-Pacific Symposium on Combustion and Energy Utilisation, Kuala Lumpur May 20-22, 2002. Topic of speech: “Energy Options in Sustainable Development” (2002)
•The Shedden Uhde Medal for excellence in chemical engineering practice and service to the profession, awarded by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) in Australia and the Institution of Engineers, Australia (IEAust), July 2000
•Chairman, Australia-China Joint Technical Workshop on Thermal Energy Engineering, Wuhan, PR China (1999)
•Postgraduate Supervisor of the Year, The University of Adelaide, 1998
•Team Leader and Chief Designer, Sydney 2000 Olympic Relay Torch Design Team (1998 – 1999)
•Chairman, Adelaide International Workshop on Thermal Energy Engineering and the Environment, McLaren Vale, South Australia, February 1998.
•Keynote Speaker, Engineering Foundation Conference on the Impact of Mineral Impurities in Solid Fuel Combustion, topic of speech: Low-rank Coal and Advanced Technologies for Power Generation (1997).
•Invited Speaker at S.A. Joint Chemical Engineering Committee meeting, topics of seminar: Coal and Combustion Research at the University of Adelaide (1997).
•David Warren Fellowship, The Combustion Institute, Australia and New Zealand Section (1996).
•Chairman, Australian Symposium on Combustion and the 4th Australian Flame Days, Adelaide, November 1995.
•Legend Award, awarded by the Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Society (CEMSS) for recognition of excellence in undergraduate teaching (1994).

Previous positions

•FTSE, FIChemE, CEng, CSci, FIEAust, CPEng, FAIE, MCombI.
•B.E. (1984) and M.E. (1987), Nanjing Institute of Technology (Southeast University), Nanjing, P.R. China.
•Ph.D. (1993), University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
•Appointed Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering at University of Adelaide (1993), Senior Lecturer (1996), Associate Professor (1998).
•Appointed Professor of Chemical Engineering (1999 – 2008) and Head of Department of Chemical Engineering at Curtin University of Technology (1999 – 2001)
•Foundation Director, Centre for Fuels and Energy, Curtin University of Technology (established 2000)
•Manager - Education Program, Principal Researcher, Key Research Adviser, and Project Leader positions with Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for New Technologies for Power Generation from Low-rank Coal (1993 - 1999).
•Adjunct Professor, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R.China (since 1995).
•Adjunct Professor, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China (since 1997).
•Research Adviser, CHEMEQ Ltd. (2000 - 2006)
•A key and crucial member in the successful application for the establishment of the Cooperative Research Centre for Coal in Sustainable Development (CCSD) (2000)
•Project Leader for Improvements in Current Power Generation Technologies (CCSD P2.3) and for Utilisation of Solid Wastes and By-products (CCSD P6.2) in the CCSD (2001 – 2008).
•Overseas Expert Assessor for Chinese Academy of Science (since 2002)
•Concurrent Research Professor, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Taiyuan, Shanxi, P.R. China (since 2002)
•Associate Editor, Science Bulletin, China Science Publishing House (2003 – 2007)
•Non-Executive Director, Hydrogen Technology Limited (2004 – 2006)
•Senior Project Adviser, BHPBilliton Iron Ore Limited - Mt Whaleback (Newman, WA) Operations (since 2004)
•Elected Fellow (FTSE), Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE) (2004)
•Chairman and Chief Scientist, 3D Reactions Pty Ltd (since 2005)
•Chief Scientist and Chief Technical Officer, Spitfire Oil Ltd (2005 – 2008)
•Honorary Professor, South China University of Technology (2006)
•Strategic Adviser and Concurrent Research Professor, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Processing Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Qingdao, Shandong, P.R. China (since 2007)
•John Curtin Distinguished Professor, Curtin University of Technology (since 2007)
•Concurrent Research Professor, Beijing University, P.R. China (since 2007)
•Winthrop Professor, Foundation Professor of Chemical Engineering, Director, UWA Centre for Energy, The University of Western Australia (since 2008)
•Member of College of Expert, The Australian Research Council (2008 – 2010)
•Inaugural Honorary Director of Centre for Energy Technology, Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Processing Technology, Chinese Academy of Science, Qingdao, Shandong, P.R. China (since 2009)

Research profile

Research profile and publications