Yuanhui Zhang

For More Information

• Environment-Enhancing Energy (E2-E) Laboratory

Education

• Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, 1989
• M.S., Agricultural Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada, 1985
• B.S., Agricultural Engineering, Shandong Institute of Technology, China, 1978

Academic Positions

• Director, BioEnvironmental Structure and Systems (BESS) Laboratory
• Founder Professor in Agricultural Engineering, 2020-present, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Innoventor Professor in Engineering, 2011-present, Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Mechanical Science Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Professor, 2003-date, Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
• Affiliate, Bioengineering Dept, Mechanical Science and Engineering Dept and Civil & Environmental Engineering Dept, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
• Associate Professor, 1996-2003, Agricultural Engineering Department, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
• Research Scientist - Engineering and Adjunct Professor, 1992-1996, University of Saskatchewan, Canada
• Research Associate, 1990-1992, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
• Postdoctoral Fellow, 1989-1990, Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Research Interests

• Indoor air quality, effect of indoor air quality on occupants, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning control. His team has developed and continued research on aerodynamic filter-less air cleaning; and three-dimensional, near-real-time volumetric particle tracking velocimetry (VPTV) for room air flow measurement and modeling. His book, Indoor Air Quality Engineering, has been used as textbook in several universities.
• Professor Zhang has pioneered the research in Environment-Enhancing Energy (E2-Energy), in which he combines waste treatment, water cleaning, carbon dioxide sequestration and biofuel conversion into one process. He has successfully converted biowaste including animal and human waste, food processing waste and algae into crude oil using thermochemical conversion (TCC) much similar to mother-nature's petroleum-formation, but in a few minutes rather than geological years. Professor Zhang's research is to enhance the quality of living by focusing on the immediate environment of living things, people, animal and plants.

Research Topics

• Bio-Micro and Nanotechnology

Books Authored or Co-Authored (Original Editions)

• Indoor air quality engineering Zhang, Y. 2005. Boca, Raton, Fla: CRC Press. (635 pages)
• Solutions manual for Indoor air quality engineering Zhang, Y. 2005 London: CRC.

Selected Articles in Journals

• Watson, Jamison, Megan Swoboda, Aersi Aierzhati, Tengfei Wang, Buchun Si and Yuanhui Zhang. 2021. Biocrude Oil from Algal Bloom Microalgae: A Novel Integration of Biological and Thermochemical Techniques. Environ. Science and Technology
• Zhao, Yu, Chengbin Zhang, Yuanhui Zhang. 2021. A GPU-accelerated particle detection algorithm in real-time volumetric particle tracking velocimetry under non-uniform illumination. Measurement Science and Technology.
• Wang, Zixin, Jamison Watson, Tengfei Wang, Shuqi Yi, Buchun Si, Yuanhui Zhang. 2021. Enhancing energy recovery via two stage co-fermentation of hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase and crude glycerol. Renew. Sustain. Energy Review.
• Lee, Timothy Haw Yu; Ziming Yang; Yuanhui Zhang; Wan-Ting Chen. 2020. Investigation of Combustion and Spray of Biowaste Based Fuel and Diesel Blends. Fuel:
• Watson, Jamison, Tengfei Wang, Buchun Si, Wan-Ting Chen, Aersi Aierzhati, Yuanhui Zhang. 2020. Valorization of hydrothermal liquefaction aqueous phase: pathways towards commercial viability. Progress of Energy and Combustion Sciences:
• Zhao, Yu, Xiaojun Ma, Chengbin Zhang, Haoyu Wang, Yuanhui Zhang. 2020. 3D Real-time Volumetric Particle Tracking Velocimetry – A Promising Tool for Studies of Airflow Around High-rise Buildings. Building Environment:
• Si, Buchun Si, Jamison Watson, Aersi Aierzhati, Libin Yang, Zhidan Liu, Yuanhui Zhang. 2019. Biohythane production of post-hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater: A comparison of two-stage fermentation and catalytic hydrothermal gasification. Bioresources Technology. 274:335-342.
• Watson J, Lu J, Souza R, Zhang Y, Liu Z. 2019. Effects of the Extraction Solvents in Hydrothermal Liquefaction Processes: Biocrude Oil Quality and Energy Conversion Efficiency. Energy. 167: 189-197.
• Si, B, Yang L, Zhou X, Watson J, Tommaso G, Chen WT, Liao Q, Duan N, Liu Z, Zhang Y. 2019. Anaerobic Conversion of Hydrothermal Liquefaction Aqueous Phase: Fate of Organics and Intensification with Granule Activated Carbon/Ozone Pretreatment. Green chemistry. 21:1305-1318.
• Chen, Wan-Ting, Yuanhui Zhang, Timothy H. Lee, Zhenwei Wu, Buchun Si, Chia-Fon F. Lee, Alice Lin, Brajendra K. Sharma. 2018. Renewable diesel blendstocks produced by hydrothermal liquefaction of wet biowaste. Nature Sustainability. 1: 702-710

Honors

• Founder Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois, 2020
• Paul A. Funk Recognition Award. College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, UIUC. 2017.
• Senior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research. College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, UIUC. 2013.
• Innoventor Professor in Engineering, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Mechanical Science Engineering, University of Illinois, 2011-2006.
• Fellow, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, elected 2011
• Fellow, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers, 2008
• Henry Giese Award, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, 2008
• Bliss Faculty Scholar. College of Engineering, University of Illinois. 2005-2010.
• General Electric Scholar, U of I College of Engineering, 1997

Teaching Honors

• Everitt Award for Teaching Excellence, U of I College of Engineering, 1997

Public Service Honors

• Distinguished Service Award, American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers, 2007

Recent Courses Taught

• ABE 225 - ABE Principles: Bioenvironment
• ABE 476 - Indoor Air Quality Engineering
• ABE 501 - Grad Sem: Foundations Success
• ABE 594 (TSM 594) - Graduate Seminar
• ETMA 372 (TSM 372) - Environ Control & HVAC Systems
• ETMA 501 (TSM 501, ABE 501) - Graduate Research I