Kai Zhang

About me:

• CEO/Deputy Director of Technology/Software Development Engineer at different companies.
• Vinnova Project Manager: 2023-01386 - Unlocking the potential of critical metal recovery via resource-efficient, heat re-utilization unit.
• CFD Researcher: DNS and LES simulation of gas turbine processes, turbulent combustion, heat exchangers (HTX): low-temperature waste heat recovery and jet cooling with reacting working fluid, etc.

About low-temperature heat recovery : the main focus is to enhance heat transfer (<100C) invoking the power of endothermic reaction close to the wall of the heat exchanger. The endothermic reaction enlarges the temperature gradient (pitch) at the wall boundary, enabling higher HTC compared to non-reacting fluid.

- DNS simulation of monomer / dimer reverse reaction close to wall boundary for heat transfer enhancement.

- Explore the possibility of TPMS structure for further improvement of HTC.

Particle-tracked fluid flow in HTX:

Jet Impingement

Endo-exothermic Reaction in HTX:

Endo-exothermic Reaction in Channel Flow:

About Combustion : the main focus is the efficient and clean utilization of renewable fuels in gas turbine combustion from NG, Bio-fuels, to Ammonia / H2. The reduction of emission relies on flameless combustion or distributed combustion techniques involving the recirculation of steam as a dilutant (concept of MILD to some extent). Steam acts as both working fluid and heat carrier for both electrical efficiency increase and fuel saving. Some tasks:

- Design of flameless combustors.

- High inlet temperature, low-O2, Rich Mix Lean Burn Strategies, DeNOx processes,etc.

- Detailed Chemistry Combustion simulation using LES & PaSR or TFM, Solver: reactingLowMach.

- Combustion regime characterization,eg , the MRB, TUB, and LDI burner.- Methods Development and Usage: UQ, POD, SPOD, CEMA, UMAP, T-SNE,etc.

MRB burner

TUB Burner:

POD Method - 3D:

Other areas worked on: Multiphase numerical simulation of forest fire (2018-2019)
Other Personal Interests : Software Development, Web Design, Machine Learning, Solver Developmentetc.

INTERNATIONAL PEER REVIEWS:

Journal: Fuel, Int J of Hydrogen Energy, Proc. Combustion Institute, Physics of Fluid, etc.

Young Editorial Member: Results in Engineering.