Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering at the School of Engineering

Bubbling fluidization has been widely applied in process industries, such as power generation from coal, renewable energy production, gasification and pyrolysis. In this study, we attempted to predict solid flow patterns, solid and gas mixing, bubble behaviour in a bubbling fluidized bed based on operational conditions and bed design.

Research Themes: 

  • Multiphase Flows and Transport Phenomena

Pore wetting is a principal control of the multiphase flows through porous media. However, the contact angle measurement on other than flat surfaces still remains a challenge. In order to indicate the wetting in a small pore, we developed a new pore contact angle measurement technique to directly measure the contact angles of fluids and gas/liquid/supercritical CO2 in micron-sized pores under ambient and reservoir conditions in this study, as well as the effect of chemical functional groups on pore contact angle.

Research Themes: 

  • Multiphase Flows and Transport Phenomena
experimental rig for pore scale study

Enhanced oil/gas recovery and CO2 storage are a displacement process at pore scale, in which oil and gas are displaced by water or CO2 in reservoir at pore scale, or water is displaced by CO2 in aquifers at pore scale. This displacement is controlled by pore structure, pore wettability, pore surface chemistry, fluid viscosity and interfacial interaction between pore fluids and pore surfaces. The displacement controls the pore connectivity, therefore oil/gas recovery and CO2 storage capacity. We investigate the displacement and the effect of various factors on the displacement at pore scale and core scale.

Research Themes: 

  • Multiphase Flows and Transport Phenomena

To address the need for effective vis response photocatalysts, we have synthesised WO3 and TiO2 nanowires to provide a fast transport channel for the photo-generated electrons which can retard the charge recombination. We are working on improving the visible activity of the catalysts through modifying the nanocomposites using metal (Ag, W, V, Fe, Ni) and non-metal (C, N, B, S) elements, and through the control over the microstructure or even over the crystal phase.

Research Themes: 

  • Energy and Climate Change
Photocatalysis laboratory equipment

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