Personal statement
The main stream of my research is solid waste valorization for the production of power, heat, fuel, and chemicals. I work on thermochemical conversion technologies (pyrolysis, gasification, liquefaction, combustion, co-firing), and further upgrading. The final products of interest include fossil compatible fuel (bio-gasoline, bio-diesel), fuel additives (ethanol, methanol, dimethyl ether, oxymethylene ethers), gaseous products (hydrogen, methane) and bio-chemicals (e.g. levoglucosan); to realize low carbon, low cost, and low GHG emission bio-fuel production. The research approaches include Quantum Mechanics modelling based on Density Functional Theory (DFT), Molecular Dynamic modelling, Process Modelling, Thermodynamic and Kinetic experimental investigation and Techno-economic Analysis. I have been awarded research projects from various funding bodies including EPSRC, Leverhulme Trust, and industry.
I received a Ph.D. degree from Royal Institute of Technology-KTH, Stockholm, Sweden, and worked as a Post-doc Research Fellow in University of Alberta, Canada. From January 2015 to June 2019, I worked at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) as a Lecturer and joined University of Strathclyde in July 2019 as a Senior Lecturer (Chancellor's Fellow) under Strathclyde Global Talent Programme. I am currently on the editorial board of two international journals and I am an academic member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a member of the Energy Institute (EI) and a member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).
I am a Fellow of Higher Education Academy in the UK, and have taught core Engineering courses include Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Heat Transfer.
Research interests
- Waste valorization for production of fuels and advanced materials;
- Bioenergy, biofuel, production of high value-added chemicals;
- Pyrolysis, gasification, combustion, carbonization;
- Process design and manufacturing of renewable energy systems.
Available PhD projects:
Atomic/molecular insights into the formation of valuable products from waste biomass
System design on co-production of transport fuel and value-added chemicals from waste biomass
Professional activities
- 28th Annual SCI-CSCST Conference
- Organiser
- 9/9/2021
- Bio-SNG production via dual fluidised bed gasification: a modelling approach
- External Examiner
- 18/5/2021
- Valorisation of Solid Waste to Advanced Fuels and Materials
- Invited speaker
- 14/4/2021
- Fundamental studies of ethanol oxidation reaction in Direct Ethanol Fuel Cells using density functional theory (DFT) Calculations
- External Examiner
- 11/3/2021
- Biomass Waste to Advanced Fuels and Materials
- Speaker
- 15/9/2020
- 27th Annual CSCST-SCI Conference: Sustainable Energy and Manufacturing the Future (Event)
- Advisor
- 11/9/2020
More professional activities
Projects
- Sustainable plastics for bathroom products
- Zhang, Xiaolei (Principal Investigator) Johnston, Karen (Principal Investigator)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2022
- System integration and module exploration on full valorization of main lignocellulosic constitutes based on self-providing acid pretreatment
- Zhang, Xiaolei (Principal Investigator)
- 31-Jan-2022 - 30-Jan-2024
- System Integration and Module Exploration on Full Valorisation of Main Lignocellulosic Constitutes based on Self-providing Acid Pretreatment
- Zhang, Xiaolei (Principal Investigator)
- Royal Society International Exchanges 2021 Cost Share (NSFC) (IEC\NSFC\211370)
- 01-Jan-2022 - 01-Jan-2024
- Efficient utilization of biochar for water remediation and soil amendment - towards a circular economy
- Zhang, Xiaolei (Principal Investigator) Davidson, Christine (Co-investigator) Fletcher, Ashleigh (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2025
- Biochar Water Remediation Research Project
- Fletcher, Ashleigh (Co-investigator) Zhang, Xiaolei (Principal Investigator) Davidson, Christine (Co-investigator)
- 01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2021
- PhD Project | Developing green heterogeneous catalysts for converting waste papaya oilseed into biodiesel
- Li, Jun (Principal Investigator) Zhang, Xiaolei (Co-investigator) Asuquo, Asuquo Jackson (Research Co-investigator)
- PTDF PhD Studentship (£120,000)
- 01-Jan-2020 - 31-Jan-2023
More projects
Address
Chemical and Process Engineering
James Weir
James Weir
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